DEFENCE

Harrier GR7

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the air defence capabilities of the Harrier GR7 are.

Adam Ingram: The Harrier GR7 is optimised for offensive support operations, but possesses an air defence capability through its Sidewinder air to air missiles.

Harrier GR7

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Indian Government concerning the sale of Royal Navy Sea Harriers; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence's Disposal Services Agency has not entered into any talks with the Indian Government with regard to the sale of Sea Harriers. However, as part of its marketing strategy for the sale of these aircraft, the DSA will follow up all expressions of interest subject, of course, to normal export controls.

Harrier GR7

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the air defence capabilities of the Harrier GR7 are.

Adam Ingram: The Harrier GR7 is optimised for offensive support operations, but possesses an air defence capability through its Sidewinder Air to Air missiles.

Fleet Air Arm

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft are in service with the Fleet Air Arm.

Adam Ingram: The total current number of aircraft in service with the Fleet Air Arm is 295. This figure includes those aircraft operated by Fleet Air Arm personnel serving in Naval Air Squadrons within both Joint Force Harrier and the Joint Helicopter Command.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the threat to the United Kingdom from attack by weapons of mass destruction.

Geoff Hoon: As of today we assess that there is currently no direct threat of attack by weapons of mass destruction to the United Kingdom. We do, however, continue to monitor developments very closely, particularly as they might affect British forces deployed in other parts of the world.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the type of weapons of mass destruction that are most likely to be used by countries he has defined as of concern to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We monitor continuously the capabilities of countries which possess, or are seeking to acquire, weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver or use them. Currently we assess that none of the countries we are monitoring has the specific intention to use them against the United Kingdom. Should a direct threat materialise, its exact nature will depend on the capabilities of the country concerned and the political and military context in which it arises.
	Our assessment of the weapons of mass destruction programmes of a number of countries was included in our "Supplementary Memorandum to the House of Commons Defence Committee: The Ballistic Missile Threat" of 18 March 2002.

Ordnance

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the production of ordnance in the UK.

Lewis Moonie: Royal Ordnance Defence, the UK's major producer of munitions to the armed forces, has been operating against a background of sharp decline in the world-wide demand for defence equipment over the last 15 years. Like any other commercial company competing in world markets, it has had to take the hard decisions necessary to optimise its manufacturing capacity to remain viable and competitive in this sector. The Ministry of Defence is aware that the company is currently conducting a manufacturing review, focusing particularly on its sites at Birtley, Bridgwater and Chorley.
	While the final result of this review is not yet known, I am able to inform the House that Royal Ordnance Defence has recently announced that it intends to pursue a consolidation option at the Birtley site. Although, regrettably, there will be some job losses over a period of years, the company expects that this option will secure the future of the site as part of its core business.
	They have also informed MOD that they intend to invest heavily in a number of sites across the United Kingdom. Royal Ordnance Defence are retaining expertise in the crucial areas of propellant charge design at Bishopton, ordnance engineering design at Leicester, and small arms ammunition design and manufacture at Radway Green near Crewe, as well as investing substantially in its filling, assembly and packaging plant at Glascoed. There is no doubt that the company does possess and plans to retain world-class research and development personnel and production facilities in the United Kingdom.

Armed Forces (Retention)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to improve retention in the armed forces; and what progress has been made in the last 12 months to address the shortfall in numbers for each of the services.

Adam Ingram: The achievement of manning balance is being tackled as a matter of the highest priority. In particular we have introduced a number of initiatives aimed at improving retention. Although there are variations between the Services, the overall manning position is stabilising.
	Our aim is to achieve higher levels of retention through policies that genuinely reflect the priorities of our people and their families.

Armed Forces (Retention)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the net inflow/outflow of trained service personnel was in 2001.

Adam Ingram: The net inflow outflow of trained service personnel in 2001 is as follows:
	
		Number 
		
			 Service Naval Service Army  RAF Total 
		
		
			 Inflow 2,844 11,535 3,005 17,384 
			 Outflow 4,026 11,660 4,018 19,704 
			 Net Flow -1,182 -125 -1,013 2,320

Afghanistan

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the UK peacekeeping force in Kabul.

Geoff Hoon: The United Kingdom has led, and has made a substantial contribution to, the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul since its inception. Our troops have been widely praised for their work in helping the Interim Administration to maintain security and stability in Kabul as the Afghans begin the rebuilding of their shattered country.

Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the duties of British soldiers in Afghanistan are.

Geoff Hoon: British troops in Afghanistan have been carrying out both security assistance and combat tasks.
	The United Kingdom has led, and has made a substantial contribution to, the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul since its inception. Our troops have been widely praised for their work in helping the Interim Administration to maintain security and stability in Kabul as the Afghans begin the rebuilding of their shattered country.
	A battlegroup formed around 45 Commando Royal Marines has been deployed to Bagram to contribute to the international coalition's continuing operations to defeat the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Afghanistan

Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his NATO colleagues on the operations in Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: I continue to have regular discussions with my NATO colleagues about operations in Afghanistan. All members of the coalition are committed to the fight against international terrorism, and to supporting the Afghan Interim Administration as the Afghans begin the rebuilding of their country.

Afghanistan

John Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air transport sorties in support of British forces' operations in the Afghanistan theatre have been flown in chartered Antonov heavy lift aircraft.

Geoff Hoon: As at 18 April, there have been 95 direct and 23 indirect Antonov sorties in support of British forces' operations in the Afghanistan theatre.

Afghanistan

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on British service personnel deployed in Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Brennan), at column 649.

Afghanistan

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are being employed in Afghanistan to minimise the risk to British troops of friendly fire incidents.

Geoff Hoon: The planning for operations in Afghanistan included detailed work to establish a number of clear, reliable measures to minimise the risks of friendly fire incidents. All coalition forces operate in accordance with strict Rules of Engagement and British forces operate in their own area of responsibility with equipment to ensure that they have accurate positioning information. Additionally, individuals and vehicles are clearly marked using indicators that are visible by day and at night through night vision aids.
	There is also a close working relationship between coalition forces, with liaison officers placed at all levels in headquarters and in lower formations. Procedures to co-ordinate fire and air support have been established at the Coalition Combined Air Operations Centre and at Divisional and Brigade Headquarters and several lines of communications are also in place (including satellite- based equipment) to allow close co-ordination between headquarters, troops on the ground and aircraft to ensure deconfliction.

Regular Army

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the trained strength of the regular Army was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

Adam Ingram: It is difficult to make direct comparison between Army strength figures for 1997 and 2001 as we now provide figures for Army strength incorporating UK Trained Personnel, the Full Time Reserve Service and Gurkhas for the last two years. Prior to this strength figures based on this definition were not available. I have therefore restricted my answer to UK Trained Army Personnel only. This stood at 97,812 as at 31 December 1997 and 96,373 as at 31 December 2001.

Rules of Engagement

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on developing methods of distinguishing between enemy combatants and civilians in each year from 1997–98 to the latest year for which figures are available.

Lewis Moonie: Minimising non-combatant casualties is of course among our highest priorities whenever we are involved in military operations but it is not a discrete capability. It is the product of a wide range of different activities and approaches, and equipment based solutions. For example, it ranges from the assessment of strategic level intelligence for strike missions all the way through to training for sentry duty. There is therefore no simple figure available.

Territorial Army

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the Territorial Army is.

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the Territorial Army is.

Lewis Moonie: As at 1 April 2002, the strength of the Territorial Army stood at 39,663 personnel, including those mobilised in support of operations.

Iraq

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans for military action in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne), at columns 664–65.

Defence Medical Services

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) current numbers of serving personnel of Defence Medical Services are.

Lewis Moonie: As at 1 January 2002, there were 6,509 personnel in the regular Defence Medical Services against an operational and retained task requirement of 8,387. These figures exclude student nurses and other new entry trainees.

Strategic Defence Review

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish an update of the strategic defence review relating to terrorism.

Geoff Hoon: I expect to be in a position to publish some conclusions from the work on a "New Chapter" to the Strategic Defence Review in the late spring or early summer.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reduce the Defence Aviation Repair Agency work force.

Adam Ingram: No forward manpower targets have been set to reduce the work force in the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA). However, DARA has reduced its work force year on year as a direct result of rationalisation initiatives and the introduction of new working practices. There has been no requirement for any compulsory redundancies as a result of any of these initiatives. In line with the assumptions made when it was established as a trading fund, the Agency will continue to pursue efficiencies and improvements across its business and these may result in changes to the size and shape of the organisation in the future.

Courts Martial

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the impact of the suspension of courts-martial on the workings of military discipline.

Adam Ingram: Army and Royal Air Force courts-martial scheduled to begin in the period immediately after 26 February were postponed in the light of the judgment on that day of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Morris v. the United Kingdom. This was to enable those services to address the concern expressed in the judgment, about the potential for external influence over certain members of court martial panels. The Army and Royal Air Force have now followed the Royal Navy in including in Queen's Regulations a prohibition on reporting on court martial members for the performance of these duties. All three services have also included in Queen's Regulations a reminder that it is an offence to attempt to influence a member of a court martial.
	Army and Royal Air Force courts-martial resumed on 3 and 23 April respectively. The backlog of 54 Army and nine Royal Air Force trials that had been postponed should be cleared by the end of June. We regret the inconvenience to the accused and their representatives, and to witnesses, but the postponements have had only a marginal effect on the operation of the discipline system as a whole. Moreover it has been valuable to have clarified the position regarding the very proper independence of court martial members.

MOD Guard Service

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the MOD Guard Service.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence is committed to its in-house guard force, which has provided first class unarmed protection to the Defence Estate for almost 10 years. The organisation of the MGS has recently been reviewed, and it has been decided, subject to consultation with the trade unions, to move to a centralised structure, under the direction of the Chief Constable, MOD Police, so as to provide a more efficient and effective unarmed guarding service.

Air Defence

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the air defence of the United Kingdom.

Adam Ingram: The task of air defence of the United Kingdom falls to the RAF, particularly RAF Strike Command. The UK continues to meet its commitment to NATO to preserve the integrity of our airspace using a combination of air surveillance radar and quick reaction aircraft. Those assets could also be used in a national capacity.

Service Reductions

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings will be made in each year to 2012 by the decisions (a) to bring forward the withdrawal of (i) 5 squadron, (ii) the RN Sea Harriers and (iii) HMS Fearless and (b) to reduce (1) the state of readiness of HMS Sheffield and (2) the number of Nimrod aircraft on order.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to him on 24 April 2002, Official Report, column 262W, 18 April 2002, Official Report, column 1078W, and 15 April 2002, Official Report, columns 712–13W. In the case of Sea Harrier decision, further to the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 16 April 2002, Official Report, columns 823–34W, the estimated savings (net of the costs of the related upgrading of the Harrier GR7 to GR9) over the period 2002–03 to 2005–06 (the latest year for which we have accurate figures) are some £109 million. The net savings accruing from the current plan to hold HMS Sheffield at extended readiness between 2002 and 2004 are estimated to be some £28 million over the period 2002–03 to 2004–05. All savings are compared to previous plans.

Eurofighter

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Eurofighter will be operational in the strike role.

Geoff Hoon: Eurofighter will be a multi-role aircraft, conditioned primarily for air defence. It will, however, have an initial air-to-surface capability as soon as it becomes available for operational deployment, in the second half of the decade. We plan to enhance this capability during incremental upgrades.

Better Quality Services Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the services of his Department have not been reviewed under the Better Quality Services Initiative; and when they will be reviewed.

Lewis Moonie: The Better Quality Services (BQS) programme was launched in 1998 and adopted by the Cabinet Office in the Modernising Government White Paper of 1999 as a means of delivering continuous improvements in the quality and effectiveness of Government activities and services. It requires all Government Departments to review every activity and service over a five year period starting in October 1999. The scheme covers all activities in Departments, agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies, and is similar in remit to the Best Value programme in local government.
	The Ministry of Defence is committed to the regular and rigorous review of its business activities. BQS is one of a range of approaches we have taken to achieve this. Progress against our BQS programme has been published in our departmental performance reports. As at the end of March 2001, over 70 per cent. of the plan had been completed. The activities then outstanding were largely small-scale management reviews, possible public-private partnerships, retendering of service contracts and reviews of individual agencies. Our next departmental performance report, in the autumn, will give further information on our business improvement programme.

Joint Strike Fighter

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost is of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

Geoff Hoon: The Joint Strike Fighter has been identified as having the best potential to meet our Future Joint Combat Aircraft requirement. The United Kingdom's procurement costs are currently estimated to be up to £10 billion, depending on the number of aircraft required and the variant selected. Subsequent costs will be determined by the through life support strategy that we decide to adopt.

Defence Employment (North-East)

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the numbers employed in the defence and defence-related industries in the north-east.

Lewis Moonie: The latest available figures (1998–99) for the number of United Kingdom jobs estimated to be directly dependent on Ministry of Defence equipment expenditure is 81,000. Of these, approximately 3,000 were employed on MOD equipment contracts in the north-east. The Defence Analytical Services Agency does not provide estimates for regional employment derived from MOD non-equipment expenditure or exports.
	We are currently reviewing our methodology on the estimation of employment figures dependent on UK defence expenditure and exports. On this issue, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 766W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Ann McKechin).

Service Accommodation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the last Stock Condition Survey was conducted of (a) single living accommodation and (b) service family accommodation; what conclusions were drawn as to the work required to meet the target of upgrading his Department's housing by 2003; if he will put the latest copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: As part of the Ministry of Defence's commitment to improving single living accommodation a rolling condition revalidation programme commenced in April 2001 and the current status is:
	
		
			  Status 
		
		
			 Navy Complete 
			 Army Ongoing, substantially complete 
			 RAF Complete 
			 DLO Complete 
			 Central TLB Complete 
		
	
	So far as service family accommodation in mainland UK is concerned, a stock condition survey was commissioned by the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) in mid-1997 and completed in early 1998. The task was complex, involving 650 data entries per property and full survey of 90 per cent. of the total stock of some 64,000 properties. Against an agreed standard for condition very few properties met the highest standard. DHE had already embarked on a programme to refurbish all of the properties then forecast as required for the long term but, on the basis of the information contained in the survey and the amount of work required, the target date was revised from 2003 to November 2005.The survey report is now outdated, in that some 12,000 properties have since been disposed of, and significant new build and upgrade projects carried out. It would therefore be inappropriate to place a copy in the Library of the House. However, the latest information is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of properties 
		
		
			 Standard 1 20,699 
			 Standard 2 26,007 
			 Standard 3 4,877 
			 Standard 4 349 
			  
			 Total 51,932

C3 Capabilities

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what improvements have been made to the armed forces' C3 capabilities since July 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 April 2002
	The introduction into service of a range of programmes has led to significant improvements to the armed forces' Command, Control and Communications (C3) capability since July 1998. Examples include the upgrade and expansion of our Joint Force Maritime and Air Operational Command Systems, and upgrades to the Skynet 4 satellite system. We have also introduced specific additional communications capabilities to improve interoperability with allies to ensure maximum operational flexibility for our deployed forces in the particular demands of the Afghanistan environment. Furthermore, the Personal Role Radio was released into service in January 2002, two months earlier than scheduled, and is currently deployed with troops in Afghanistan.
	These enhancements are backed by a significant programme of investment in our future capability that, over the next few years, includes the introduction of Bowman, Skynet 5, and Falcon.

ISTAR

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what improvements have been made to the armed forces' ISTAR capabilities since July 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 April 2002
	The armed forces have made significant improvements to their ISTAR capabilities since 1998, introducing into service a variety of assets to improve surveillance and intelligence gathering capabilities. Examples include the introduction into service of the PHOENIX unmanned aerial vehicle in 1999, improvements to our EW capability for land and maritime forces, and improved imaging capabilities for the RAF. In addition, recent operations have led to the introduction of specific ISTAR capabilities in support of our deployed forces, including mobile weapon locating radars, improvements in our intelligence distribution networks and an increase in the provision of tactical level surveillance devices.
	ISTAR remains a priority area for future investment. Among our programmes due into service over the next few years are: ASTOR, delivering significant improvements to our airborne surveillance capabilities; and the WATCHKEEPER unmanned aerial vehicle project that will greatly enhance our battlefield surveillance capabilities. As well as primarily ISTAR assets, the planned introduction of platforms with integral ISTAR systems, such as the Attack Helicopter, will further enhance our capabilities in this area.

Operation Antler

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) MOD police officers, (b) Royal Navy regulators, (c) Royal Military Police, (d) Royal Air Force Police and (e) other MOD personnel are working with Wiltshire constabulary on Operation Antler; what has been the cost in each year in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 April 2002
	The following table shows the numbers and costs (salary, travel and subsistence and other support costs) of MOD staff working with the Wiltshire constabulary on Operation Antler, since its commencement in August 1999:
	
		
			   1999–2000  2000–01  2001–02  
			  Numbers of staff £ Numbers of staff £ Numbers of staff £ 
		
		
			 MOD police officers 2 76,097 2 87,304 (1)1 (2)83,529 
			 RN regulators 0 0 1 (3)8,530 1 (3)5,000 
			 Royal Military Police 0 0 2 33,597 2 44,744 
			 Royal Air Force Police 0 0 3 63,880 (4)1 53,978 
			 Total 2 76,097 8 193,311 5 187,251 
		
	
	(1) With effect from January 2002 the number of MDP officers on secondment to Wiltshire constabulary reduced from two to one.
	(2) Figures include support costs up to November 2001 only.
	(3) Costs approximated as officer only undertook part-time duties in respect of Operation Antler.
	(4) With effect from November 2001 the number of RAF officers on secondment to Wiltshire constabulary reduced from two to one.
	In addition, staff in MOD Headquarters and at Porton Down have co-operated fully with the police in pursuit of their inquiries.

Operation Antler

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many DSTL staff at Porton Down have assisted Wiltshire Constabulary with Operation Antler; what (a) accommodation and (b) other facilities have been made available in each year since the operation began; and what the cost was to the Defence budget.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 April 2002
	During the last two and a half years, 22 members of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) staff have assisted the Wiltshire police with the Operation Antler inquiry. Members of the inquiry team have been provided with areas in which to work and review documentation. Additional support facilities have also been provided to copy documents and review films.
	The cost of Dstl support to Operation Antler has not been gathered separately. However, the total cost of Dstl effort in addressing issues arising from the Porton Down Volunteer Scheme, including those relating to Operation Antler, for the financial year 2001–02 was approximately £485,000.

Tanker Aircraft

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress made with procurement of tanker aircraft for air-to-air refuelling.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 April 2002
	The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft is planned to replace our VC10 and TriStar air to air refuelling/air transport aircraft around the end of the decade. An Invitation To Negotiate for this potential PFI contract was issued to industry in December 2000. Bids were received from two consortia in July 2001 and we are currently in discussions with both bidders.

Fluorescent Particle Trials

Paul Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what long term conclusions, with specific reference to those relating to health effects, his Department reached on the Fluorescent particle trials over south-west Britain between 1955 and 1963; what tests relating to germ warfare have taken place since 1972; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 April 2002
	In 1999 the Ministry of Defence commissioned Professor Peter Lachmann, and a team of distinguished scientists, to undertake an independent review of the Fluorescent particle trials which occurred between 1955 and 1963. The MOD accepts the conclusion of this review which was that
	"Exposure to cadmium from dissemination of zinc cadmium sulphide during the "Cold War" should not have resulted in adverse health effects in the UK population". The findings of the review are summarised in an open literature paper entitled: The risk to the UK population of zinc cadmium sulphide dispersion by the Ministry of Defence during the "Cold War" (Occup. Environ. Med. 2002, 59, 13–17). Additionally, the complete review can be found at www.mod.uk/publications/zinc-cadmium.
	A review which summarises the defence trials conducted by the Porton Down establishments, entitled "BW and BW Defence Field Trials Conducted by the UK: 1940–79" can be found in the Library of the House. Subsequent to the trials detailed in this report other defence trials involving simulant organisms have been undertaken on restricted access MOD sites. These trials have assessed the threat posed by specific dissemination methods, evaluated the performance of biological detection systems, considered aspects of decontamination and provided training for operators of the in-service biodetection systems.

Malaria

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of malaria there have been among UK forces in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Sierra Leone.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 26 April 2002
	As of 24 April, there have been 159 confirmed cases and six suspected cases of malaria among UK forces who have served on recent and on-going operations in Sierra Leone. No cases of malaria have been reported among UK service personnel deployed to Afghanistan.

Naval Vessels

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships are (a) being refitted and (b) preparing to be refitted; and when the refit work is due to (i) commence and (ii) finish.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 April 2002
	There are four Royal Navy surface warships currently in refit. These are:
	HMS Invincible—aircraft carrier
	HMS Liverpool—type 42 destroyer
	HMS Gloucester—type 42 destroyer
	HMS Monmouth—type 23 frigate.
	HMS Manchester—type 42 destroyer and HMS Iron Duke—type 23 frigate are undertaking post refit activities and trials prior to returning to the fleet.
	In addition to the refits listed above HMS Marlborough—type 23 frigate is currently undergoing a docking period that will complete later this summer.
	There are no Royal Navy surface warships currently undertaking preparations for a refit.
	The exact dates on which refits will complete will depend on progress and emergent work. However, HMS Liverpool is expected to complete her refit shortly and the other refits will complete by mid 2003.

Naval Vessels

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he expects the first cutting of metal for (a) HMS Daring, (b) HMS Dauntless and (c) HMS Diamond; and when these ships will be launched;
	(2)  when the design work for the Type 45 destroyers will be completed.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 26 April 2002
	Design and fabrication details are matters for the Type 45 prime contractor, BAE Systems Electronics. However, under current plans, design work will essentially be complete in autumn 2003 and the expected first cutting of metal and launch dates for the first three ships are as follows:
	
		
			 Vessel Cut steel Launch 
		
		
			 HMS Daring Spring 2003 Spring 2005 
			 HMS Dauntless Autumn 2004 Spring 2007 
			 HMS Diamond Spring 2005 Summer 2007

Naval Manpower

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Royal Navy has sufficient manpower to crew all operational surface ships; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The Royal Navy has sufficient manpower to support the deployment of surface ships as required to meet its current commitments, including the full manning of all operational ships in times of heightened tension.

F680 Application

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are considered when determining an F680 application.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence Form F680 Process allows industry to seek preliminary Government approval for the release of classified military information, or advice on the prospects for eventual approval of an export licence application, at the marketing stage. In the case of the latter, the Government consider applications against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. It is, however, routinely made clear that preliminary advice to companies under this procedure does not constitute an export licence nor guarantee that any future export licence application would result in the issue of a licence.

F680 Application

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) of 30 January 2002, Official Report, column 335W, who decided to give preliminary clearance to supply an air traffic control system to Tanzania under the F680 procedure.

Lewis Moonie: This was a Government decision following consideration of the application by the relevant Government Departments.

F680 Application

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place a copy of the departmental communication with Siemens Plessey Electronic Systems confirming the preliminary clearance; and what conditions were applied to the preliminary clearance.

Lewis Moonie: Access to detailed information on F680 clearances is restricted for commercial reasons. I am therefore withholding this information under Exemption 13 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

F680 Application

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Ministers and (b) other persons are consulted following an F680 application prior to a decision being reached; and if he will place a copy of the document setting out the rules of the F680 procedure in the Library.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to my answer on 30 January 2002, Official Report, column 336W, to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry). Ministers are not routinely involved in the assessment of F680 applications. A copy of guidance to industry on the F680 procedure is being placed in the Library of the House.

PRIME MINISTER

Digital Equipment

Tim Yeo: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the number of subscriptions to (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable television held by his Department for services in any departmental building from which Ministers work, stating for each subscription its (i) cost and (ii) purpose.

Tony Blair: holding answer 10 April 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on Friday 26 April.

Iraq

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Kuwait on proposed military action against Iraq.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him in the House on 24 April 2002, Official Report, column 331.

Iraq

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what his policy is in respect of the assassination of heads of state; and what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration on this policy.

Tony Blair: Our policy is to act in accordance with UK and international law. We have had no recent discussions with the US Administration on this issue.

Party Funding

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister if he will introduce plans for state funding for the work of political parties other than campaigning.

Tony Blair: The Government have introduced rules on openness and transparency for political funding. There are a wide variety of different views on state funding and I welcome the debate, but at the moment there is no consensus.
	The Electoral Commission have already indicated their intention to consider the arguments for a cap on political donations and state funding, and the Select Committee for Transport, Local Government and the Regions have announced that they propose to look at this area.

WALES

National Insurance Contributions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the cost in a full year of the Budget changes to employers' national insurance contributions to his Department;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the cost in the next 12 months of the Budget changes to employers' national insurance contributions to his Department.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, at column 544W.

Solar Panels

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what buildings owned by his Department have solar panels installed.

Paul Murphy: None.

TREASURY

Maladministration

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments have been made to individuals following findings of maladministration by ombudsmen with responsibility for agencies under the remit of his Department in the last 12 months; and what plans he has to review the powers to increase the level of awards that can be made.

Andrew Smith: holding answer 10 April 2002
	No payments were made in 2001–02. I have no plans to review the powers to increase levels of awards.

Illegal Meat Imports

Alan Reid: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures Customs and Excise are taking to prevent illegal imports of meat; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 11 April 2002
	BSE related restrictions on the export of beef from the United Kingdom are enforced through portal surveillance measures operated by DEFRA and the devolved Administrations. Customs' role is limited to providing support were necessary to the lead agencies and providing them with any relevant information coming to Customs attention. Export of meat from some endangered species is subject to the European Regulation implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Customs action on any such exports is on an intelligence- led basis.

Illegal Meat Imports

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions in 2001 customs officers in Newhaven carried out joint operations with environmental health officers with a view to detecting illegal meat imports.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 25 March 2002
	DEFRA and local or port health authorities are responsible for organising joint operations to target illicit meat. Customs officers participate in such operations at the request of the organising authority. No requests for participation were received at Newhaven in 2001.

Overseas Development Assistance

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of GNP has been spent on official overseas development assistance, excluding the UK's contribution to the heavily indebted poor countries scheme in each of the last five years.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 23 April 2002
	The oda/GNI ratios excluding HIPC for the last five years are:
	
		Percentage
		
			  oda/GNI ratio 
			  excluding HIPC including HIPC 
		
		
			 1997 0.26 0.26 
			 1998 0.27 0.27 
			 1999 0.23 0.24 
			 2000 0.31 0.32 
			 2001(5) 0.30 0.32 
		
	
	(5) Figures for 2001 are provisional

Digital Equipment

Tim Yeo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many digital radios are owned by his Department for use in departmental buildings from which Ministers work; and what the (a) cost and (b) date of purchase of each radio was.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The Treasury's asset register does not include any digital radios.

Climate Change Levy

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for his projection in Budget 2002, page 217, table C7, of a 50 per cent. increase in revenue from the climate change levy in 2002–03, compared with 2001–02.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The apparent growth in climate change levy receipts between 2001–02 and 2002–03 is largely due to start-up effects reducing the cash received in 2001–02.
	Climate change levy was introduced on 1 April 2001 and became liable on energy transactions from that date. Start-up effects could have been present up to September and receipts for 2001–02 were £0.6 billion.
	Financial year 2002–03 will be the first full year of CCL receipts which are forecast to be £0.9 billion.

Farmers

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of farmers in receipt of public subsidies are estimated to be millionaires.

Dawn Primarolo: There were about 356,000 farmers in the United Kingdom in 1999, the latest year for which figures are available. It is not known how many of the 180,000 millionaires in that year were farmers.

Westfield Shopping Centre Company

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the dates since 1 May 1997 when (a) Ministers and (b) officials have met representatives of Westfield.

Ruth Kelly: Ministers and civil servants have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis. I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 689W, stating that as with previous Administrations it is not this Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and "Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists".

Terrorist Suspects

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additions to the list of terrorist suspects have been made by G7 Finance Ministers at the Washington summit; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: On 20 April 2002, G7 Finance Ministers announced an assets freeze list containing the names of nine individuals and one organisation suspected of being involved in terrorism. These names have since been added to the list of organisations and individuals subject to UN sanctions against the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and their associates.

Milk

Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on tax treatment of milk quota.

Dawn Primarolo: Milk quota is treated for tax like other similar assets.

NHS Spending (Scotland)

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Budget report, if he will place in the Library the calculations regarding the allocation of additional spending to Scotland as a consequence of the planned increases in NHS spending in England; and if he will make a statement on the operation of the Barnett formula in these calculations.

Andrew Smith: The Government made substantial increased allocations to Scotland in the Budget above existing plans as a result of the increased spending announced for the NHS in England. The annual additions to Scotland's budget in 2003–04 to 2007–08 are £224 million; £858 million; £1,576 million; £2,341 million and £3,201 million. The allocation of additional spending to Scotland as a result of the planned increases in NHS spending in England was determined by applying the Barnett formula, using the latest available ONS population figures. The funding arrangements for the devolved Administrations were set out in the Statement of Funding Policy published by the Treasury in July 2000.

Inheritance Tax

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total yield of inheritance tax was in 2001–02; and what he estimates it will be in 2002–03.

Andrew Smith: The figures are contained in Table C7 on page 217 of the 2002 Financial Statement and Budget report, a copy of which is in the Library.

International Monetary and Financial Committee

Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the IMF in Washington DC.

Ruth Kelly: The International Monetary and Financial Committee met in Washington DC on 20 April 2002. The Committee had a broad agenda, covering the global economy, the IMF's policy agenda and progress in combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Based on the Committee's discussions, management will determine the forward work programme and priorities for the International Monetary Fund over the next six months.
	In their discussion of the global economy the Committee welcomed the international community's decisive policy actions, especially following the tragic events of 11 September 2001, to maintain financial stability, restore the momentum of world economic growth, and reinvigorate the fight against poverty. The Committee also urged the Argentine authorities to co-operate with the IMF to reach agreement on a sustainable economic programme.
	Going forward the Committee will continue to work together for sustained, broad based growth, creating opportunities for productive employment, reducing vulnerabilities, opening up economies for trade, providing resources for durable poverty reduction, and sustaining global action to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
	The Committee also made recommendations for strengthening the IMF's surveillance, including in financial sectors, and crisis prevention and for enhancing the existing framework for crisis resolution, including consideration of innovative proposals to improve the process of sovereign debt restructuring.
	The Committee fully endorsed the Monterrey consensus and encouraged the IMF to work closely with the World bank, regional development banks, the United Nations and bilateral donors in monitoring progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Committee welcomed the outcomes of the recent reviews of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper process and were encouraged by progress in implementation of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. However, they noted that debt sustainability remains an issue for a number of HIPC countries and called on the IMF and the World bank to review the situation.
	Copies of the IMFC's final communiqué are available in the Library of the House and on the IMF website at www.imf.org.

Corporation Tax

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of companies that will benefit from his proposed exemption from corporation tax of the gains from the sale of substantial shareholdings.

Dawn Primarolo: About 5,000 companies are expected to benefit from the exemption.

VAT Payments

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds in each of the next three years of the provision in the Budget for firms with turnovers of up to £150,000 to make flat-rate VAT payments.

Paul Boateng: The costs of this measure will be set out in the normal way in the Government's next Financial Statement and Budget report once full and final details of the proposed change have been announced.

Duties

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when it is intended to introduce duty incentives for sulphur-free fuels; what duty incentive he plans; and on what bases EU agreement is required before any duty incentive can be implemented.

Paul Boateng: As we announced in the Budget, the Government will introduce incentives for sulphur-free fuels in 2003. The precise incentives will be for the Chancellor to decide, taking into account economic, social and environmental factors.
	Giving a duty incentive for sulphur-free fuels is likely to require a derogation from the EC mineral oils structures directive.

Duties

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a new rate of duty for biodiesel at 20 pence below the ultra-low sulphur diesel rate will be available; what the total cost to the Treasury will be at (a) the outset of its introduction and (b) projected in the next three years; what recent assessment has been conducted by his Department of future use of biodiesel; and what assumptions he has made about the (i) current and (ii) projected future availability of biodiesel in the UK.

Paul Boateng: Budget 2002 confirmed that the new rate for biodiesel will take effect from Royal Assent of the Finance Bill. The revenue cost of the new rate was published in Table A2.1 of the Financial Statement and Budget report. As a result of the measure, biodiesel is assumed to take up a steadily increasing share of the diesel market, representing around two-thirds of 1 per cent. of the market by volume by 2006–07.

Duties

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost to the Treasury will be at (a) the outset of its introduction and (b) projected in the next three years of the (i) freeze in duty on (A) liquefied petroleum gas, (B) compressed natural gas and (ii) enhanced capital allowances for investments in CNG fuelling infrastructure, as announced in the Budget.

Paul Boateng: (i) The revenue cost of the freeze in duty on gas for road fuel is negligible.
	(ii) The cost for investments in CNG refuelling infrastructure is also negligible.

Duties

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total cost to the Treasury will be at (a) the outset of its introduction and (b) projected in the next three years of the reduction in VED for motorcycles announced in Budget 2002;
	(2)  what the total cost to the Treasury will be at (a) the outset of its introduction and (b) projected in the next three years of the (i) application of lower rates of air passenger duty to all EU applicant countries and Switzerland and (ii) the freeze in the duty from 1 November 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The costs of the reforms to motorcycle vehicle excise duty, application of lower rates of air passenger duty (APD) to European Union applicant countries and Switzerland from 1 November 2002, and the freeze in APD are set out in table A.1 (page 155) of the FSBR.

Duties

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost to the Treasury will be at (a) the outset of its introduction and (b) projected in the next three years of the freeze in vehicle excise duty rates for lorries announced in Budget 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The cost of freezing vehicle excise duty for lorries in Budget 2002 is forecast to be approximately £5 million a year for each of the three financial years 2002–03 to 2004–05.

Duties

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department plans to take to reform the fuel duty rebate for buses; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: To ensure the most effective use of funds in improving bus services and delivering the Government's transport, environment and social objectives, the Chancellor announced in the Budget that a review of the support mechanisms for buses will be carried out as part of the forthcoming spending review and the current review of the 10-year plan. In particular, the review will consider fuel duty rebate for buses to assess whether it provides effective support for buses in a way that is consistent with Government objectives.

Bad Debt Relief

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue effect in each of the next three years of his proposed rule for bad debt relief to give businesses an automatic entitlement to recover the VAT after six months.

Paul Boateng: The main impact of the changes to VAT bad debt relief announced in the Budget is to reduce compliance costs for affected businesses. The impact on VAT revenues is negligible.

National Insurance Contributions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the gross cost to the Treasury in a full year of the increased employers' national insurance contributions envisaged in his Budget statement;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the gross cost in a full year of the Budget changes to employers' national insurance contributions to (a) his Department, (b) agencies thereof and (c) organisations sponsored by his Department.

Andrew Smith: It is estimated that the changes to employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will increase pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent. next year.

Performance Targets

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the aggregate proportion of PSA targets across all Departments which were (a) met, (b) on target to be met, (c) not met and (d) not on target to be met for financial years (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: Departments publish progress against their PSA targets in their spring annual reports and, from this year, in autumn performance reports. The Treasury will provide an overall analysis of the Government's performance in future reports, as it did in its 2000 departmental report.

Flexible Working

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are (a) job sharing, (b) terming working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working.

Ruth Kelly: Further to my answer of 13 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1110–11W, there are 16 job sharers in HM Treasury (1.4 per cent. of total staff), one term worker (0.1 per cent. of total staff) and 55 other staff engaged in other forms of flexible working (4.8 per cent. of total staff) (all figures rounded to nearest 0.1 per cent.).

Community Development Venture Capital Fund

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer over what period the community development venture capital fund will provide the £40 million referred to in his Budget speech.

Paul Boateng: The Government expect the Community Development Venture Fund to be launched and begin operating shortly. The first investments are likely to be made in 2002–03, and the fund is likely to be invested within three to six years, allowing a reserve for follow-on investments as portfolio companies grow. The investment profile and timing will depend on the opportunities that the fund identifies, the time taken to bring companies to the point of investment readiness, and on market conditions.

Economic Growth

John MacDougall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Treasury's latest forecast is of UK economic growth for the forthcoming year.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury's latest economic forecast is set out in Chapter B of the Financial Statement and Budget Report, which was published on 17 April. UK GDP is forecast to increase by between 2 and 2.5 per cent. in 2002.

Stamp Duty

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of stamp duty on commercial property on (a) property unit trusts and (b) the attractiveness of collective investment schemes investing in property for institutional pension fund investors.

Ruth Kelly: UK stamp duty rates on property compare favourably with other EU countries. We regularly review the impact of stamp duty on all aspects of the commercial property market.

Sulphur-free Fuel

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment has been undertaken by his Department of the (a) current and (b) projected future availability of sulphur-free fuel in (i) the UK and (ii) Europe; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	Under a Common Position reached at the December 2001 EU Environment Council, member states set an EU-wide maximum limit for sulphur of 10ppm (termed "sulphur-free" fuel) from 1 January 2009, this date being subject to review by the Commission with respect to diesel fuel. The Common Position would also require member states to ensure the widespread availability of these fuels from 1 January 2005 in order that it is available for the latest technology vehicles that can take best advantage of it. The European Parliament will now consider the Common Position at its Second Reading.
	Almost all petrol and diesel sold in the UK is already ultra low (50ppm) sulphur. Sulphur-free petrol and diesel has now been introduced at 18 retail sites in and around Edinburgh. Current availability of sulphur free fuels in most EU member states is minimal. However, sulphur- free diesel is quite widely available in Sweden and all super unleaded petrol is sulphur-free in Germany.
	In the period up to 1 January 2009, the availability of sulphur-free fuels will be influenced by the rate of investment in new refinery technology needed to produce the fuels and also the level of fiscal incentives offered by individual member states to encourage its supply. In this respect, the Chancellor, in his recent Budget statement, announced plans to introduce duty incentives favouring sulphur-free fuels in 2003, subject to European agreement. Germany has also announced similar plans. The Benelux countries are also expected to follow this UK and German lead with the result that fairly widespread availability may be expected in these countries from 2003 onwards. Under the terms of the directive, widespread availability is to be expected in all EU member states from 2005.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Tanzania

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what information she has collated with regard to the formal procedures followed by the Government of Tanzania in respect of consideration of tenders for supply of an air traffic control system; and whether such procedures met recognised international standards;
	(2)  what information she has collated with regard to the bidding process in respect of potential suppliers of an air traffic control system to Tanzania; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: DFID has not collated specific information regarding formal procedures adopted by the Government of Tanzania on the tender process in this case. However, I can confirm that DFID has been actively involved in helping the Government of Tanzania draft and introduce a new Public Procurement Act, which came into effect on 1 July 2001. This ensures that GoT's tendering procedures meet recognised international standards.

Recruitment

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many net additional staff her Department has recruited in each month since June 2001 at (a) executive officer level and (b) administrative level.

Clare Short: Details of the net additional staff recruited by DFID at executive officer level and administrative levels, for each month since June 2001, are as follows:
	
		
			 
			  Month Number of net additional staff recruited at executive officer level(6) EntrantsLeaversNet position Number of net additional staff recruited at administrative level(7) EntrantsLeaversNet position Total of net additional staff recruited at executive officer and administrative level 
		
		
			 2001
			 June 1 3 (2) 4 6 (2) (4) 
			 July 2 2 0 2 2 0 0 
			 August 1 0 1 6 5 1 2 
			 September 1 3 (2) 10 0 10 8 
			 October 5 2 3 14 1 13 16 
			 November 5 0 5 10 3 7 12 
			 December 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 
			 2002
			 January 4 2 2 5 2 3 5 
			 February 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 
			 March 2 3 (1) 5 1 4 3 
			 Total 24 16 8 59 21 38 46 
		
	
	(6) Grade B2
	(7) Grades C1 and C2

South America

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid went to each South American country in the last 12 months; and whether it was ring-fenced for particular projects.

Clare Short: The bilateral development programmes for Latin American (central and south) countries last year were:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Country 2001–02(8) 
		
		
			 Bolivia 13.780 
			 Brazil 7.646 
			 Central America(9) 5.560 
			 Colombia 1.434 
			 Costa Rica 0.200 
			 Cuba 0.600 
			 Ecuador 0.434 
			 Mexico 0.460 
			 Panama 0.190 
			 Paraguay 0.160 
			 Peru 9.184 
		
	
	(8) Includes provisional figures for 2001–02 and provisional figures for DFID debt relief (comprising both interest and principal foregone under retrospective terms adjustment, repayment which would have fallen due in year).
	(9) A regional programme including Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador.
	In addition to these figures the European Commission spent £153 million in Latin America (which includes Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela in addition to the countries listed) of which UK share is approximately over £29 million which is drawn from my Department's budget.
	All our programmes are carried out in accordance with our country strategies, which are jointly agreed with our counterparts in country. Our role is to add value to the combined effort to the international community to create the right conditions necessary for poverty reduction.

South America

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of aid from the UK was spent on (a) education, (b) health and (c) environmental projects overseas in the last 12 months.

Clare Short: The information required on the proportion of the UK's bilateral aid programmed allocable by sector in 2000–01, the latest period for which figures are available, is:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Education 15 
			 Health 17 
			 Renewable natural resources 12 
		
	
	Environment is such a cross cutting issue that it is mainstreamed into many of our projects and programmes and as such we do not have a separate environment market for our projects. Therefore for the purposes of answering this question we have taken renewable natural resources as a proxy.
	These figures represent expenditure on projects specific to sectors but do not capture the full extent of our efforts in each policy area because they exclude multi-sector projects, block funding to civil society organisations and budget support or balance of payments. Also excluded are activities in sectors funded through multilateral channels.

Forestry (Nigeria)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the value for money achieved by the Cross River State Community Forestry Project in Nigeria.

Clare Short: The Department has been involved with Cross River communities, in the use and management of forest resources on a sustainable basis, at varying times over the last seven years. Implementation on the latest programme commenced in July 1999 and is due to complete in January 2003.
	This project was last formally assessed during an Output-to-Purpose Review (OPR) in September 2001 in conjunction with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The review team observed significant achievements over the two-year period compared to the slow progress under military rule prior to 1999. Most notably, the conclusions from the OPR related to economy, efficiency and effectiveness highlighted the following:
	33 forest management committees (FMCs) have been established. Strong partnerships have developed between all stakeholders in a number of these and communities are organising themselves according to a common constitution to protect their rights and forest.
	Communities have shown more commitment to the sustainable management of their forest resources and to curbing illegal exploitation. This has been largely due to public awareness of the value and importance of sustainable forest management undertaken by the project.
	Communities are receiving a greater share of forest royalties more promptly while changes in forest laws promoted by the project, which will strengthen communities' rights over forests, are about to be submitted.
	Capacity of community based forest organisations and of the forestry commission staff have improved with training provided under the project.
	An important component of the project worked on the institutional strengthening and capacity building of the Forest Commission (FC) to enable it to facilitate implementation of the forest sector strategy and action plan. The capacity of the state to play its role in joint management of forest resources is crucial to sustaining the productive capacity and biological resources and to ecological significance of the tropical high forest. Notable achievements here are:
	Technical assistance initiated by the project in 1999 has been significant in introducing genuine joint management of strategic forest resources.
	A new institutional change programme sponsored by the project is significantly assisting the process of institution reform and financial efficiency and accountability within the FC.
	A forest sector strategy and an action plan have been drafted under the project while a community forestry support unit has been established within the forest commission.
	Illegal logging and transport of timber have been reduced.
	A number of short-term (international and local) consultancies have provided valuable input into the project implementation eg the Non Timber Forest Products consultancy while the Legal Framework consultancy provided groundwork for the proposed changes in the laws.
	Overall, the review team concluded that the project purpose was likely to be partially achieved, which is significant given the original risk assessment rated this project as medium to high risk, later amended to high risk. This achievement rating could be changed during the next review. CIDA have agreed to continue working with the forestry commission and the communities when DFID's input completes next year. DFID's withdrawal is solely linked to our stated strategy to focus on a limited number of reforming states (four). These states are in the south-west, south-east, north and middle belt. Cross River state is in the south geo-political zone.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what are the latest estimates she has received of changes in total carbon dioxide emissions in the UK in (a) 2010 and (b) 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The latest carbon dioxide projections are published in the UK's Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Projections, taking account of the policies and measures as quantified in the UK's Climate Change Programme, show estimated emissions in 2010 at about 19 per cent. below the 1990 level. Additional measures that cannot yet be quantified could increase this to a 20 per cent. reduction. Although the uncertainties are greater, current projections indicate about the same level of reduction in 2015 without further policies and measures.

Refrigerators

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the household waste and recycling fund announced by her Department on 26 March will be used to finance the cost of (a) collection, (b) storage and (c) recycling of waste-refrigeration units in accordance with EC Regulation No 2037/2000; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The £140 million Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund is a ring-fenced grant that is designed to help local authorities in England to improve in particular, their recycling and composting performance, and waste management generally.
	No proportion of the Fund has been specifically allocated for the purposes of financing the cost of (a) collection, (b) storage and (c) recycling of waste refrigeration units.

Refrigerators

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance on the storage and disposal of waste-refrigeration units has been provided to (a) local authorities and (b) consumers since 4 December 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The Environment Agency has now issued the final version of its guidance on the recovery and disposal (including storage) of refrigerators and freezers. In addition, a list of treatment companies has been placed on the DEFRA website to facilitate contact between local authorities and the waste management industry.
	A leaflet for householders advising on how to dispose of old fridges, originally available only on the DEFRA website, has now been published in hard copy as well, and widely distributed. Guidance on the disposal of commercial refrigeration equipment has been placed on the website and we hope to issue a paper version shortly.

Combined Heat and Power

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to utilise biomass fuelled CHP technology on the Government Estate; and when these plans will be implemented.

Michael Meacher: All Government Departments have a target to ensure that by 31 March 2003, at least 5 per cent. of their electricity comes from renewable sources, or from self-generation, provided this does not entail excessive cost. They also have a longer-term target for at least 10 per cent. of their supply by 31 March 2008, which is subject to review after March 2003.
	Biomass is just one of the renewable technologies that can help Departments meet this target. I am not aware of any current plans to utilise biomass production technology on any significant scale on the Government Estate, and it is for each Department to determine the extent to which self-generation is a practicable and cost-effective option.
	However, DEFRA, PIU and the National Lottery are funding research and development into energy crops and biomass as fuel for CHP schemes, and I will encourage Government Departments to examine the scope which such technology may in future offer.

Global Warming

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the emissions figures are for each of the Kyoto protocol greenhouse gases in every year since 1997; and what different weighting is given to each gas owing to its global warming potential.

Michael Meacher: UK emissions data for the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto protocol to the year 2000 were reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change earlier this month.
	The following table summarises the data for the years since 1997, expressed in million tonnes of carbon equivalent. The global warming potential used to arrive at these emission estimates are summarised in the final column of the table. The values are those for a 100-year time horizon published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1995. These are the weighting factors agreed for use under the Kyoto protocol during the first commitment period.
	
		UK greenhouse gas emissions expressed as million tonnes of carbon
		
			 ses 1997 1998 1999 2000 Global warming potential (100 year horizon) 
		
		
			 C0 2 152.5 153.2 150.8 152.1 1 
			 CH 4 16.3 15.6 14.8 13.9 21 
			 N 2 0 16.6 15.8 12.2 12.0 310 
			 HFCs 5.0 5.5 2.4 2.5 (10)— 
			 PFCs 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 (11)— 
			 SF 6 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 23,900 
			  
			 Total(12) 190.9 190.7 180.8 181.1 — 
		
	
	(10) Values for specific HFCs range from 140–11700
	(11) PFCs include mainly perfluoromethane (6500), perfluoroethane (9200), and perfluoropropane (7000).
	(12) Totals may not correspond exactly to entries in columns due to rounding.

Global Warming

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1340W, on greenhouse gas emissions, when the data for 2000–01 will be published.

Michael Meacher: The process for the collection of data for the years 2000–01 and 2001–02 is under way and we plan to continue previous practice by including this data in the Greening Government Annual Report published in November of each year. Commencing this year we intend to report data on the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings on the Government Estate about 6 months after the end of the financial year, rather than current practice of reporting 18 months in arrears.

Dr. Robert Watson

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's response to US Government action to replace Dr. Robert Watson as the Chair of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change.

Michael Meacher: The UK supported Dr. Watson continuing in his post as Chair of the IPCC, but who the US supports is a matter for them.

Foot and Mouth

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total amount expended was on overnight accommodation for emergency staff working on the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001; and what proportion of this sum was spent in (a) guest-houses, (b) bed and breakfast accommodation and (c) small hotels.

Elliot Morley: Total payments for overnight subsistence for staff working on the Foot and Mouth crisis were as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2000–01 971,470 
			 2001–02 19,808,069 
		
	
	DEFRA does not hold records by the categories requested (Guest Houses, Bed and Breakfast, or small Hotels).

Foot and Mouth

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the compensation levels paid for (a) cattle and (b) sheep slaughtered in the foot and mouth disease outbreak were; and what percentage they represent of the current values paid for restocking.

Elliot Morley: The compensation levels paid to farmers for cattle and sheep slaughtered in the foot and mouth disease outbreak is as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			  Average cost per animal 
		
		
			 Cattle 1,163.33 
			 Sheep 153.19 
		
	
	The percentage in relation to the current value of restocking is not available because we do not have the restocking prices.

Sustainable Development

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to promote the results of United Nations summit conferences relating to sustainable development.

Clare Short: I have been asked to reply.
	We have publicised the results of the Financing for Development (FFD) conference on DFID's internet website. We intend to do the same for other major UN conferences. Hilary Benn the Under-Secretary has spoken to a meeting of NGOs about the results of FFD. We are submitting a memorandum on FFD to the International Development Select Committee. We will continue to press in a variety of international fora for progress towards implementing the commitments made at FFD, including on aid volume, aid effectiveness and strengthening the voice of developing countries in the international financial architecture. We intend to hold a meeting with interested NGOs and MPs after the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children to discuss its results.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Rent Service

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what performance targets he has set the Rent Service for 2002–03.

Sally Keeble: Key targets have been agreed for the agency. They are included in the agency's business plan, which includes management objectives, performance indicators and key tasks. Copies of the business plan will be placed in the Libraries of the House in due course.
	The Key Targets for the Rent Service are:
	To process 87 per cent. of housing benefit determination without an inspection within three working days
	To process 87 per cent. of housing benefit determinations with an inspection within 15 working days
	To process 87 per cent. of pre-tenancy determinations within four working days
	To process 87 per cent. of redeterminations within 15 working days
	To process 87 per cent. of fair rent determinations within 40 working days
	To increase the number of cases determined per employees by a minimum of 3 per cent. while reducing the costs per cause by a minimum of 3 per cent. in real terms, and with improvements in the quality of service provided
	To improve the agency's customer satisfaction rating from 80 per cent. to 85 per cent. in 2002–03.

Travellers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many times local authorities and police forces have had to move travellers on from (a) public and (b) private land in 2001.

Sally Keeble: This information is not collected centrally.

Travellers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what extra funding has been made available to local authorities in (a) London and (b) west Sussex in their standard spending assessment budgets this year to provide for the cleaning up of public land left in an unsatisfactory state by travellers.

Alan Whitehead: The cleaning up of public land is within the district services section of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services block of the local government finance settlement. Sums for individual services within this section are not identified separately.

Westfield Shopping Centre Company

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations his Department and its predecessor has received from the Westfield shopping centre company since 1997.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 17 April 2002
	Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

Westfield Shopping Centre Company

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the Planning Minister was informed of the financial arrangement in place between Lord Levy and Westfield when he agreed to meet the latter.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 15 April 2002
	I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 776W.
	Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

Westfield Shopping Centre Company

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the dates since 1 May 1997 when (a) Ministers and (b) officials have met representatives of Westfield.

Sally Keeble: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

Planning

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures he is taking to protect the Green Belt from further housing development.

Sally Keeble: Planning Policy Guidance Note 2—"Green Belts"—requires that local authorities' development plans should include a strict presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt. This includes most types of housebuilding.

Housing

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 16 April 2002, Official Report, column 798W, on housing, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance his Department issued to local authorities on the Cash Incentive Scheme in February 2000.

Sally Keeble: A copy of the guidance issued by the Department for the Environment Transport and the Regions to local authorities on the Cash Incentive Scheme in February 2000 will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Housing

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what new affordable housing development schemes in each London borough are being funded by the Housing Corporation's approved development programme in 2002–03.

Sally Keeble: The Housing Corporation's allocation statement for London for 2002–03 provides information on the allocations of public money made to housing associations for the provision of new affordable housing under the approved development programme (ADP) and safer communities supported housing fund in London. This document is published on the Housing Corporation's website at www.housingcorp.gov.uk. Figure 4.5 in the London allocation statement 2002–03 lists the schemes allocated funding in each London borough. I have placed copies of this table in the Libraries of the House.

Torbay Unitary Authority

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost will be of the inspections to be conducted in the Torbay unitary authority area into (a) corporate governance and (b) first tier authorities; how many officials will be involved in undertaking each inspection; and what the cost will be of producing a report after each inspection.

Alan Whitehead: Torbay was one of a number of authorities selected for corporate governance inspection. Corporate governance inspections have been a powerful diagnostic tool to examine the corporate capabilities and management systems of local councils. Torbay was selected in response to concerns raised by the Audit Commission and other inspectorates about the council's management capabilities for key services. The inspection is not yet complete and the report is unlikely to be published before this summer.
	The inspection of Torbay was large, involving a range of representatives from different inspectorates working with the Audit Commission to examine the full range of service issues. The estimated cost of the inspection is approximately £70,000 based on a team of eleven people. Torbay council's net budget is approximately £123 million. It is hoped this inspection will result in significant improvements to the quality and efficiency of local service delivery with clear benefits for local people and the authority.

Local Government Finance

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will ensure that local authorities covering the Malvern Hills receive support grants on the same basis as that received by the unitary authority of Herefordshire.

Alan Whitehead: We are working with local government to develop options for fairer and more intelligible grant distribution formulae. In distributing grant, the new system will take into account the differing circumstances faced by local authorities, and their differing responsibilities. We cannot say now whether any particular authority or group of authorities will gain or lose from the new system. We will be consulting on options over the summer and will consider the views put to us when we come to take decisions.

Local Government Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that the new grant formula that will replace the SSA will (a) be improved and (b) address the needs of all classes of authority.

Alan Whitehead: We are working with local government to develop options for fairer and more intelligible grant distribution formulae. But if there are to be winners there must also be relative losers, since the formulae will distribute the fixed pot of resources made available by the spending review. We cannot say now whether any particular class of authority will gain or lose from the new system, but we will consult on options over the summer and will consider the responses when we come to take decisions.

Local Government Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he will take to ensure that the new finance system for local authorities provides an effective framework within which councils can initiate new and innovative ways of delivering customer-focused services and lead their communities.

Alan Whitehead: Our comprehensive agenda for reform of the local government finance system was set out in last December's White Paper "Strong Local leadership—Quality Public Services". Our finance reforms will give councils more space to innovate and respond in ways that are appropriate to local circumstances by providing local authorities with greater freedom to borrow, invest, trade, charge and set spending priorities. Our White Paper implementation plan is available on the DTLR website at http://www.dtlr.gov.uk/local-regions/sll/implement/plan/ index.htm.

Business Rate Relief

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to propose amendments to the regulations governing transitional relief for business rates; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: My officials have prepared amendments to the regulations in discussion with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation and others. The amendments would allow transitional relief, backdated to 1 April 2000, to certain properties which currently do not qualify because of errors in the old 1995 rating lists. They would also, among other things, extend the period in which ratepayers can appeal against the values in certificates used to calculate rate bills.
	The draft regulations were sent to local authorities and others with an interest in rating with an explanatory letter on 14 March. The draft is being finalised in the light of comments received.
	Before coming into force amending regulations would first need to be approved by both Houses of Parliament.

Local Public Service Agreements

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason district councils are not directly involved in local public service agreements; and what plans he has to extend them to district councils in the future.

Alan Whitehead: The Government is keen to involve districts in local PSAs, but believes that better outcomes can be achieved through co-operation between county and district councils than by districts acting alone. It therefore offers incentives to encourage county councils to work with their districts in drawing up and implementing their Local PSAs. Most of the county councils involved in the roll out of Local PSAs to top tier authorities have involved their districts. There are no plans to extend local PSAs to districts alone.

Digital Equipment

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many digital radios are owned by his Department for use in departmental buildings from which Ministers work; and what the (a) cost and (b) date of purchase of each radio was.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 26 April 2002
	DTLR neither own nor have purchased any digital radios for use in departmental buildings from which Ministers work.

Press Subscriptions

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the magazines and periodicals subscribed to by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Weekly newspapers and tabloid-format periodicals that have the appearance of newspapers have been classed as "periodicals" and included in this answer. The information on annual cost is given only for the aggregate of central magazine and periodical procurement in the Department since reasons of commercial confidentiality preclude the release of such information by publication. The information relates solely to central procurement in the central Department and does not include purchases made by the Department's agencies and NDPBs, nor purchases made from local budgets for which no data are collected centrally.

Press Subscriptions

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the newspapers subscribed to (a) Monday to Saturday and (b) on Sunday by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The information is contained in the table. Weekly newspapers and tabloid-format periodicals that have the appearance of newspapers have been classed as "periodicals" and accounted for in the answer above (52834). The information on annual cost is given only for the aggregate of central newspaper procurement in the Department since reasons of commercial confidentiality preclude the release of such information by publication. The information relates solely to central procurement in the central Department and does not include purchases made by the Department's agencies and NDPBs, nor purchases made from local budgets for which no data are collected centrally.
	
		Newspapers titles -- £
		
			 Monday to Saturday titles Numbers of copies 
		
		
			 Daily Mail (Monday to Friday) 13 
			 Daily Mail (Saturday) 1 
			 Daily Mirror (Monday to Friday) 13 
			 Daily Mirror on Saturday 1 
			 Daily Star (Monday to Friday) 4 
			 Daily Star (Saturday) 1 
			 Daily Telegraph (Monday to Friday) 18 
			 Daily Telegraph (Saturday) 4 
			 Die Welt (Monday to Saturday) 1 
			 Evening Standard (City Prices Edition) 18 
			 Evening Standard (Late Prices Edition) 17 
			 Evening Standard (News Extra Edition) 21 
			 Evening Standard (West End Final Edition) 29 
			 Financial Times (Monday to Friday) 47 
			 Financial Times (Thursday) 1 
			 Financial Times (Weekend) 8 
			 Glasgow Herald (Monday to Friday) 1 
			 Guardian (Monday to Friday) 19 
			 Guardian (Saturday) 4 
			 Independent (Monday to Friday) 20 
			 Independent (Saturday) 4 
			 Irish Times (Monday to Friday) 1 
			 Le Figaro (Monday to Friday) 1 
			 Le Monde (Monday to Friday) 1 
			 Le Monde (Monday to Saturday) 5 
			 Le Point 1 
			 Lloyds List 11 
			 Scotsman (Monday to Friday) 1 
			 Sun (Monday to Friday) 12 
			 Sun (Saturday) 1 
			 The Express (Monday to Friday) 11 
			 The Express on Saturday 1 
			 Times (Monday to Friday) 29 
			 Times (Saturday) 4 
			 Total cost 38,250 
			 Sunday titles  
			 Express on Sunday 1 
			 Independent on Sunday 5 
			 Mail on Sunday 1 
			 News of The World 1 
			 Observer 5 
			 Sunday Mirror 1 
			 Sunday People 1 
			 Sunday Telegraph 5 
			 Sunday Times 5 
			 The Business 5 
			 Total cost 1,300

Correspondence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 March 2002, Official Report, column 983W, on target times for correspondence, in what proportion of cases in 2001–02 letters from (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public were answered within 15 working days.

Alan Whitehead: Information is published annually by the Cabinet Office on the volume of correspondence from Members of Parliament received by Ministers and Agency Chief Executives; Departments' and Agencies' handling targets; and their performance in meeting these targets.
	Performance in handling correspondence from members of the public is collated internally each quarter. For the period 1 April 2001 to 31 December 2001 the Department's records show that it answered 99 per cent. of letters from the public within 15 working days. Figures for the final quarter of 2001–02 have not yet been collated.

Port Marine Safety Code

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his reply of 22 April 2002, Official Report, column 56W, on the port marine safety code, whether the Department was the originator of this correspondence; and for what reason his Department has chosen not to make the correspondence public.

David Jamieson: The correspondence between Humber Pilots Ltd. and the Department was initiated by the company. As already explained, letters between the Department and its correspondents are treated in confidence unless the originator chooses to make them public.

Port Marine Safety Code

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the statutory harbour authorities in the UK broken down by (a) companies, (b) local authorities, (c) trusts and (d) other which had not completed implementation of the Port Marine Safety Code by 31 December 2001; what steps are being taken in each case to ensure compliance; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The following competent harbour authorities have not yet notified my Department that they have implemented the Port Marine Safety Code:
	(a) Company ports
	Brighton Marina Estate Management Company Ltd.
	Eastbourne (Sovereign Harbour)
	Falmouth Docks & Engineering Company Ltd.
	Irvine Harbour Company
	Manchester Ship Canal Company
	Newhaven (Seine Maritime Regional Authority)
	Porthleven Harbour & Docks Company
	Port of Mostyn Ltd.
	Seaham Harbour Dock Company
	(b) Local authority ports
	Argyll and Bute council
	Rothesay
	Carmarthenshire county council
	Llanelli
	Exeter city council
	Isle of Wight council
	Newport
	North Devon district council
	Ilfracombe
	Orkney Islands council
	Sedgemoor district council
	Bridgwater
	Waveney district council
	Southwold
	West Dorset district council
	Bridport
	Worthing borough council
	(c) Trust ports
	Blyth Harbour Commission
	Coleraine Harbour Commission
	Crouch Harbour Authority
	Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority
	Littlehampton Harbour Board
	Looe Harbour Commission
	Maldon Harbour Improvement Commission
	Maryport Harbour Commission
	Mousehole Harbour Commission
	Sandwich Port & Haven Commission
	(d) Other
	Duchy of Cornwall
	Isles of Scilly
	Environment Agency Wales
	River Dee
	Norfolk Broads Authority.
	My officials are corresponding with, and visiting, those authorities that have significant responsibilities for marine safety if they have not reported compliance with the Code.

Civil Aviation Authority

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what responsibilities Ministers have for the safety regulation duties of the CAA; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Civil Aviation Act 1982 and the Transport Act 2000 lay on the Secretary of State and the CAA complementary duties in relation to the regulation of aviation safety.
	The Secretary of State has responsibility for encouraging measures for promoting safety in the use of civil aircraft and ensuring that international obligations are fulfilled; he is also answerable to Parliament generally for the performance of the CAA. The CAA has responsibility for advising the Secretary of State on all civil aviation safety matters and for regulating air safety through various licensing, certification and approval regimes.
	In practice, the Secretary of State refrains from interfering in the CAA's day to day responsibilities. This is expressed in the letter which is customarily sent to Chairmen of the CAA shortly after their appointments specifying the broad policy framework in which the Authority is to operate. The letter also states that the Chairman's primary objective is to ensure that the CAA continues to promote, in an efficient and cost effective way, high standards of safety in all aspects of civil aviation. A copy of this letter, dated 16 October 2001, is in the Libraries of the House.

National Air Traffic Services

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to ensure that their 49 per cent. shareholding in NATS is being administered properly.

David Jamieson: As part of the structure of the public private partnership they have appointed three non- executive directors to the Board of NATS. These directors are responsible for safeguarding the Government's interests in the company. NATS is also required by the strategic partnership agreement to provide regular management information.

Pilotage

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether pilotage services operated by Humber Pilots Limited are covered by contract; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Humber Pilots Ltd. no longer provide pilotage services: they gave notice on their contract with the competent harbour authority which expired in January 2002.

Pilotage

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which the Humber Pilots Limited contract with Associated British Ports was terminated and the former pilots' authorisations revoked; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The contract between Associated British Ports and Humber Pilots Ltd. is a matter for the parties and it was not appropriate for Ministers to become involved in the dispute which arose between them over it. The Pilotage Act 1987 provides for there to be a contract between authorised pilots and their competent harbour authority, and for authorisations to be revoked if there ceases to be one.
	I understand that, when Humber Pilots Ltd. gave notice on their contract, expiring in January 2002, the authority responded by formally advising each authorised pilot that his authorisation would then be revoked by virtue of termination of the contract between the authority and Humber Pilots Ltd.

Pilotage

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many Humber pilots work for Humber Pilots Limited; how many worked on 12 December 2001; and, in each case, how many were formally authorised by the competent harbour authority and what their qualifications were; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I understand that no pilots worked for Humber Pilots Ltd: it was established as a co-operative under the Friendly Society Act 1965 with its members treated as self-employed. I also understand that, on 12 December 2001, 136 members of Humber Pilots Ltd. were authorised as pilots by the competent harbour authority. The Department does not have detailed information on their qualifications. The paper on the new Humber pilotage service mentioned in the answer given to the hon. Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on Tuesday 16 April 2002, Official Report, columns 803–04W states (in paragraph 4.5.) that about 20 of the 136 did not have a Class 1 Certificate of Competency.

Flight Paths (London)

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes have taken place in the last 12 months in flight paths into (a) Gatwick and (b) Stansted which have affected the number of flights above Walthamstow.

David Jamieson: None. The Walthamstow area is mainly affected by overflight of aircraft inbound to London Heathrow and outbound from London City. It may sometimes also be overflown by aircraft inbound to London Stansted, when that airport is operating in a north easterly direction.

Aerodromes

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continuance of unofficial safeguarding arrangements for (a) gliding sites and (b) other licensed and unlicensed aerodromes provided for in paragraph 9 of the annexe to Circular 2/92; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what progress his Department has made on the revision of Circular 2/92; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: My Department carried out a public consultation last year on a proposal to revise Department of the Environment Circular 2/92 on the official safeguarding of aerodromes, technical sites and military explosives storage areas. Following the end of the public consultation period, and discussions with the main stakeholders, my Department last month issued for further comment by those stakeholders a second draft of a revised Circular. In doing so the Department has reinstated the recommendation contained in the 1992 Circular, to operators of smaller aerodromes and of sites for other aviation activities, such as gliding or parachuting, to lodge an 'unofficial' safeguarding map with local planning authorities, together with the offer by the Civil Aviation Authority of advice on a format for such maps.

Aerodromes

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made on a safeguarding publication to be issued by the Civil Aviation Authority concerning the operators of unlicensed aerodromes and gliding sites; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I understand from the Civil Aviation Authority that it has undertaken to publish guidance on aerodrome safeguarding for all aerodrome operators. A complete draft of the guidance is at present being considered by an industry working group, and the intention is that the final version will be available to complement the proposed new Departmental Circular to local authorities on safeguarding consultation requirements. Notwithstanding the proposed changes to those requirements, and the proposed publication of guidance, the Civil Aviation Authority will maintain its own safeguarding expertise and will continue to provide advice to aerodrome operators as the need arises.

Roads

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what major infrastructure work has been carried out on the (a) A12, (b) A14, (c) A140 and (d) B1113 in the last 15 years, in each case giving (i) the aim and nature of the works, (ii) details of the Government body responsible, (iii) the length of time the works took and (iv) the costs of the works;
	(2)  what works are planned on the (a) A12, (b) A14, (c) A140 and (d) B1113;
	(3)  on how many days in 2001 the level of traffic on the (a) A12, (b) A14, (c) A140 and (d) B1113 was two or more times the daily average on these roads;
	(4)  how many (a) cars, motorbikes and vans, (b) lorries and (c) camper-vans and caravans use the (i) A12, (ii) A14, (iii) A140 and (iv) B1113 each day; and what the estimate is for the increase in traffic on each road over the lifetime of the Ten-Year Plan;
	(5)  what recent representations he has received from (a) the Highways Agency, (b) local authorities and (c) others, with regards to the (i) A12, (ii) A14, (iii) A140 and (iv) B1113.

Stephen Byers: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Tim Matthews to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 29 April 2002
	I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the A12, the A14, the A140 and the B1113.
	During 2001, the level of traffic on the trunk road section of the A12 and the A14, at sites where traffic flows are measured, was never two or more times the daily average at those sites.
	The A140 ceased to be a trunk road on 1 June 2001, when responsibility passed from the Secretary of State to the Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils. At sites where traffic flow was measured by the Highways Agency before June 2001, the traffic flow was never two or more times the daily average at the same sites during 2000.
	The B1113 is not a trunk road and we do hold any traffic data for it. This road is the responsibility of Suffolk County Council.
	Details of past and future improvements to those roads that are, or were, our responsibility are set out in the Annex to this letter.
	The DETR publication 'National Road Traffic Forecasts (Great Britain) 1997' (NRTF) sets out the latest forecasts for growth in the volume of motor traffic (excluding motorcycles) on roads in Great Britain until the year 2031. The forecasts are based on current policies, the best available evidence of behaviour and the capacity of the current road network. The publication is available on the DTLR website www.roads.dtlr.gov.uk. The forecasts are broken down by type of road, area and vehicle. Where detailed estimates of traffic growth for a particular location are required, the Department recommends the construction of a local traffic or transport model, incorporating the Department's national trip end model forecasts. For all-purpose trunk roads, NRTF predicts growth patterns between 2001 and 2010 within the range 11.5 per cent to 18 per cent. The Highways Agency does not hold traffic data in the form requested.
	We have received a number of representations recently about the A12 and the A14. Particular issues included our proposals to install lighting on the A12 Brentwood Bypass in Essex and to improve the A14 between Thrapston and Brampton and at Rookery Crossroads; about traffic queuing problems on the A14 westbound at Junction 4 of the A14 (A14/A6 North) in Northamptonshire; about the adequacy of the slip roads at the Swavesey and Boxworth junctions in Cambridgeshire following the opening of new service area facilities and about general issues relating to both roads.

Radioactive Materials (Transportation)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on recent changes to regulations regarding the transportation by road of radioactive material.

David Jamieson: I will shortly lay new regulations to align the requirements for domestic road transport of radioactive material in Great Britain with those applying in Europe and by other modes internationally.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average time in days for processing and dispatching replacement vehicle registration documents by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency was in the last 12 months.

David Jamieson: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency monitor their annual performance against turnround performance targets sanctioned by the Secretary of State.
	For the year 200102 in respect of registration documents issued in response to customers notifying changes to their own or the vehicles details, the agency processed and despatched 95 per cent. of all transactions within 11.4 days.

Vehicle Ownership

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many cars are registered to households in (a) Dumfries and Galloway region, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

David Jamieson: The numbers of currently licensed cars registered to keepers with addresses in the Dumfries and Galloway unitary authority, Scotland and the United Kingdom are shown in the table. The figures for Great Britain are as at 30 September 2001; the figure for Northern Ireland (649,400) included in the United Kingdom total is as at 31 December 2001. The totals include cars registered to companies and other entities as well as to individuals.
	
		Thousands 
		
			 Area Number of cars 
		
		
			 Dumfries and Galloway unitary authority 62.0 
			 Scotland 1,922.0 
			 United Kingdom 25,629.4

Vehicle Accidents

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people in (a) mid-Essex and (b) the county of Essex have (i) died and (ii) been injured as a result of vehicle accidents since 1 January 2001.

David Jamieson: The information requested is not yet available.

Abandoned Vehicles

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make it his policy that persons who abandon vehicles receive penalty points on their driving licence.

David Jamieson: Abandoning a vehicle is a criminal offence carrying a maximum penalty of a 2,500 fine, six months' imprisonment, or both. We have no plans to change those penalties.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many heavy goods vehicles were fitted with particulate traps in 2001; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The precise number of heavy goods vehicles fitted with particulate traps in 2001 is not known as vehicle owners are not obliged to notify the Secretary of State of this modification.
	However, nearly all owners of heavy goods vehicles fitted with particulate traps will request a Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC) which, once obtained, can reduce vehicle excise duty by up to 500 per year.
	In 2001 the Vehicle Inspectorate, an executive agency in my Department, issued 2,132 RPCs to owners of heavy goods vehicles that were fitted with particulate traps.

Bus Subsidies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what improvements to services and changes in passenger numbers have resulted from bus subsidies paid in each of the past four years.

Sally Keeble: Public financial support for bus services has helped to maintain service levels and passenger numbers by reducing operators' costs and subsidising services which are not commercially viable, including some 1,800 new or enhanced rural services supported by Rural Bus Subsidy Grant introduced in 1998. Funding has also provided for concessionary fares for pensioners and a number of other groups and helped operators to achieve high levels of investment in new vehicles.
	Passenger numbers on local bus services have remained relatively stable over the past four years after a long period of decline and rose by 1 per cent. in England in 200001. This includes some 17 million passenger journeys made on services supported by Rural Bus Subsidy Grant.
	The overall position on service levels and passenger numbers in England over the past four years for which figures are available is as follows:
	
		Million 
		
			  Operated kilometres Passenger numbers 
		
		
			 199798 2,142 3,773 
			 199899 2,166 3,719 
			 19992000 2,129 3,732 
			 200001 2,147 3,761 
		
	
	We are setting up a review of bus subsidy mechanisms to ensure that they contribute as effectively as possible to the achievement of our objectives.
	Bus subsidies in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Channel Tunnel

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he is taking to assist companies that are affected by delays and cancellations in the channel tunnel.

David Jamieson: The Government recognise that the disruption caused by would-be illegal immigrants is causing severe hardship to many businesses in this country who depend on reliable freight services through the channel tunnel. The Government continue to press the French Government at the highest levels to provide adequate policing resources at Frthun to support the anti-intrusion measures already being installed by SNCF.

Mersey Rail Contract

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress he has made in transferring the awarding of the Mersey rail contract from the SRA lease to Mersey travel.

David Jamieson: A draft statutory instrument to exempt the Mersey Rail Electric network from the franchising process conducted by the Strategic Rail Authority has been issued for consultation. It is intended to lay this before Parliament in June.

West Coast Main Line

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his latest projected completion date is for upgrading the west coast mainline (a) north and (b) south of the Scotland/England border.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is leading a review with Railtrack and other stakeholders of the outputs to be delivered from the project. An announcement on the outcome of the review will be made in due course.

Crossrail

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the completion dates are for the (a) consultation period and (b) announcement of the preferred route for the east London aspect of the Crossrail project.

David Jamieson: Between May and July, Cross London Rail Links Ltd. will be consulting stakeholders on all the shortlisted Crossrail route options, east and west. They hope to make an announcement on the preferred route in October. This will be followed by a public consultation period lasting about three months.

Crossrail

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which groups of people will be involved in the consultation period for the east London aspect of the Crossrail project; and if the findings of the consultation period will be published.

David Jamieson: Cross London Rail Links will seek to consult as widely as possible. There will be a period of consultation with key stakeholders on the shortlisted route options, and a period of full public consultation after the preferred route has been identified. The findings of the consultation will be included in the environmental statement when powers are sought for the project.

SouthEast Network Railcard

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what steps are being taken by his Department and the Strategic Rail Authority to ensure that the Association of Train Operating Companies provide the Rail Passengers Council with information regarding how the decision regarding plans for the SouthEast Network Railcard was arrived at;
	(2)  what correspondence has been received by his Department or the Strategic Rail Authority from the Rail Passengers Council regarding the Association of Train Operating Companies' proposals for the SouthEast Network Railcard; and if he will place copies of the correspondence in the Library.

David Jamieson: The Rail Passengers Council (RPC) wrote to the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) on 26 March about the changes to the SouthEast Network Card. They requested that the SRA use its powers under licence conditions to ensure that the financial information on which these decisions were based is provided to the RPC. The SRA has obtained this information from ATOC and sent this forward to the RPC on 24 April.

Rail Safety

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the last safety audit of road and rail intersections in the UK was conducted; and what action has been taken to address highlighted concerns.

David Jamieson: Where safety audits are carried out they are the responsibility of the individual highway authority and are mainly applied to new works. Safety audits, as such, are not carried out on the railway, but a railway infrastructure authority is under a duty to ensure that it operates in a safe manner. Information about safety audits is not held centrally.

Rail Safety

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent representations he has received on track safety issues between Kilmarnock and Dumfries.

David Jamieson: None.

Rail Incident (Wales)

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to receive a report from the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate regarding its investigation into the circumstances of the incident on the railway line between Abergavenny and Cwmbran on 17 January; and what preliminary findings he has received.

David Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate have investigated the incident at Abergavenny on 18 January but will not be producing a report because the primary cause of the incident was a road traffic accident on the A40 dual carriageway. Further investigations into this incident are being led by both the Gwent police and the British Transport police.

Rail Freight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what his policy is on the protection which will be given to rail freight operators against increases in track access charges by the Rail Regulator in future franchise agreements;
	(2)  when the rail freight franchises will be renewed.

David Jamieson: There are no franchises for rail freight.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Early Retirement

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have taken early retirement through ill health in each of the past five years.

Stephen Timms: The numbers of ill health retirements from the maintained schools sector in England in each of the last five financial years for which we have data were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
		
		
			 199697 4,980 
			 199798 3,300 
			 199899 2,320 
			 19992000 2,350 
			 200001(13) 2,610 
		
	
	(13) 200001 data are provisional.
	Note:
	Changes in the statutory regulations governing ill health retirement came into force on 1 April 1997. To qualify for ill-health retirement benefits a teacher must now be regarded as permanently unfit to teach.

Justices of the Peace

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many members of staff at her Department are justices of the peace; and if she has a strategy for her Department to encourage members of staff to become justices of the peace.

Ivan Lewis: My Department does not hold this information centrally and could provide it only at disproportionate cost.
	Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act (ERA) 1996 requires employers to allow their staff reasonable time off for public duties. The Civil Service Management Code (paragraph 9.2.5) also requires departments to allow time off for attendance required by section 50 of the ERA 1996. My Department demonstrates its support to employees who are justices of the peace by allowing them special leave with pay to perform the duties associated with their office.

Licensed Child Minders

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many licensed child minders there were in each of the last seven years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Numbers of registered child minders(14)Englandposition at 31 March each year
		
			  Registered child minders 
		
		
			 1995 97,100 
			 1996 102,600 
			 1997 98,500 
			 1998 94,700 
			 1999 82,200 
			 2000 75,600 
			 2001 72,300 
		
	
	(14) Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Notes:
	1. This information was provided by local authorities.
	2. While the change in the number of registered child minders is of concern it has coincided with increases in alternative forms of child care over the past few years, which have offered a greater diversity in services for parents and children.
	3. The Government value registered child minding and are concerned about the decline in child minder numbers. The Government's strategy to help to reverse this trend includes:
	a four year national recruitment campaign to raise the status of working in the sector;
	child minder start up grants;
	grants to help child minders in disadvantaged areas when they have a vacancy; and
	the creation of networks to support child minders.

Physical Education

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which secondary schools in England have no indoor facilities for physical education.

John Healey: Data drawn from local Asset Management Plans and sent to the Department in 200001 by local education authorities show that the overwhelming majority of secondary schools have indoor facilities for physical education. Appraisal of this information and data has focused on LEAs' overall assessment processes, rather than the details for each school. It is not therefore possible to list those schools which do not have such facilities. Information about individual schools can be obtained from the appropriate local education authority.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible under the new deal for young people in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits.

Ivan Lewis: Information about the numbers employed by DfES non-departmental public bodies on new deal programmes, is not collected or held centrally by this Department.

Sixth Forms and Colleges

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her policy is in respect of similar salaries for comparable work by teachers in further education colleges and schools with sixth forms.

Margaret Hodge: Pay and conditions for teachers in maintained schools, including those with sixth forms, is determined on a statutory basis under the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991. The pay and terms and conditions of the lecturers who work in sixth form colleges and general further education colleges are matter for the employers to determine, in discussion with the relevant unions. A wide range of pay and conditions now exist in the FE sector, reflecting the diverse learning needs of the colleges' local communities and colleges' individual decisions on implementing the nationally recommended pay settlement each year.

Low Participation Postcodes

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will instruct the Higher Education Funding Council for England to publish its list of low participation postcodes; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 25 April 2002
	I understand that the Chief Executive of the Funding Council has written to the hon. Member to enable him to have access to this information.

Agencies (Liaison)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the agencies that fall under her Department's remit that have a duty to liaise with secondary heads on educational matters.

Estelle Morris: There is no statutory duty placed on the Department's agencies to liaise with secondary heads on educational matters. However, agencies do consult directly and indirectly with secondary heads if it is deemed appropriate to ensure the effective delivery of both the Department's and their own remits.

National Insurance Contributions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much money in total she estimates schools and colleges will pay in additional employers' national insurance contributions in 200304;
	(2)  whether LEAs will receive additional budget provisions for 200304 to cover the cost of increased employers' national insurance contributions;
	(3)  how much additional cost on average she expects secondary schools to incur in 200304 as a result of the increase in employers' national insurance contributions;
	(4)  what she estimates to be the total increased national insurance bill for an average primary school in England in 200304;
	(5)  how much additional funding colleges of further education will require in 200304 to offset the additional cost of employers' national insurance contributions.

Stephen Timms: The additional cost in employers' national insurance contributions in 200304 for all English colleges (including sixth form colleges) providing further education is estimated to be about 25 million. This cost will be considered alongside other priorities and pressures in the 2002 spending review. The costs to schools will be in the region of 4k for the average primary school and 20k for the average secondary school. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the question from the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on 24 April 2002, Official Report, column 311W.

National Insurance Contributions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what she estimates will be the total cost of employers' national insurance contributions met (a) directly and (b) indirectly from her Department's budget in this financial year.

Estelle Morris: The total amount of employers' national insurance contributions paid directly by the Department for Education and Skills in respect of central administration for the year 200203 is estimated to be 7 million.
	Employers' national insurance contributions are paid indirectly by the Department for Education and Skills plus the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions through the funding of education and training providers. Data regarding the total amount of national insurance contributions paid are not held centrally. Using available data, we estimate the cost will be 3,000 million for 200203.

Teachers' Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent estimate she has made of the funding level related to current and future liabilities of the teachers' pension scheme.

Stephen Timms: The Teachers' Pension Scheme is an unfunded scheme, with a notional account maintained and valued periodically by the Government Actuary. The last valuation, as at 31 March 1996, revealed that total liabilities of the scheme (pensions currently in payment and the estimated cost of future benefits) amounted to 65,670 million and total assets amounted to 61,710 million. The 1996 report is available in the House of Commons Library.
	I expect to have the Government Actuary's report on the 2001 review by the end of the year.

Teachers' Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what has been the cost to the teachers' pension scheme of tax changes since 1997.

Stephen Timms: As the Teachers' Pension Scheme is an unfunded scheme there are no associated tax liabilities.

Teachers' Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who the fund managers are of the teachers' pension scheme.

Stephen Timms: The Teachers' Pension Scheme is an unfunded scheme. There are, therefore, no fund managers.

Teachers' Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements are made for the payment of a pension to a teacher who takes early retirement through ill health; and how it is funded.

Stephen Timms: Where a teacher is considered to be permanently unfit to teach as a result of illness or injury, they become entitled to receive payment of ill health retirement benefits, consisting of a pension and lump sum. Arrangements for the payment of benefits are made by the administrators of the Teachers' Pension Scheme. The cost of ill health retirement benefits, alongside the cost of all other benefits payable under the provisions of the scheme, is taken into account by the Government Actuary as part of the periodic scheme valuation. The results of the valuation determine the employer contribution rate needed to defray the costs of the scheme. Teachers pay a contribution of 6 per cent. of salary towards the cost of their pension scheme benefits; the current employer contribution rate is 8.35 per cent. of salary.

Selection

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools select more than 5 per cent. of their intake in England and Wales.

Stephen Timms: The 164 schools in England, designated by order as grammar schools, are wholly selective. My Department does not collect information on partial selection. However, a recent analysis of progress reports from specialist schools, undertaken by my Department, found that less than 6 per cent. of these schools select some pupils by aptitude.
	In Wales, there are no maintained grammar schools, and only one partially selective school. The school selects more than 5 per cent. of pupils.

Specialist Schools

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of schools that will become specialist schools in each of the next three years.

Stephen Timms: By September 2002 we expect there to be at least 150 more specialist schools joining the 834 already designated. This puts us well on course to exceed our target of l,000 by 2003 and to reach our goal of at least 1,500 specialist schools by 2005.

Specialist Schools

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of current applications to establish specialist schools contain a request to select more than 5 per cent. of their intake by aptitude.

Stephen Timms: None of the specialist school applications currently being assessed by my Department include a request to select a proportion of their intake by aptitude. School admission arrangements are a matter for local determination; they do not require approval by my Department.

Specialist Schools

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many maintained specialist schools there are in England.

Stephen Timms: There are currently 685 maintained specialist schools in England. A further 149 have been designated for September 2002.

Funding

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what conditions she will attach to the additional funding announced for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the Budget.

Stephen Timms: In his Budget statement, the Chancellor announced an additional 85 million of capital funding for schools and colleges in England in 200304. The share of this funding going to schools will be provided as an addition to New Deal for Schools devolved formula capital for schools. The increase will add around 20 per cent. to the previously announced allocations of this programme for both primary and secondary schools in 200203.
	Guidance on the use of New Deal for Schools devolved formula capital was issued in April 2001, and revised guidance will be issued in the near future. There is no difference between the way in which primary schools and secondary schools may use this funding.
	The Chancellor also referred in his Budget statement to previously announced increases in the School Standards Grant. This direct grant can be used for any standards directed expenditure in schools.

Further Education

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's policy is on ensuring that public funds made available to further education colleges are reflected in pay offers made to teachers.

Margaret Hodge: We are investing significant funding in the FE sector. In 200102, 527 million extra was planned for FEa 12 per cent. real terms increase, with a further 3 per cent. increase this year. By 200304, annual funding for FE will have increased by 1.4 billion since 199697, a real terms increase of 20 per cent.
	It is for each college to agree annual pay rises and conditions of employment with its staff in the context of the overall resources available to them. In 200102, at least 93 per cent. of colleges were able to pay the recommended 3.7 per cent. pay award in full, or in part. The substantial additional investment we are making in the sector should enable colleges to ensure that staff receive an appropriate salary increase this year.

Further Education

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact on forward planning by further education colleges of current funding structures and practices.

Margaret Hodge: The Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) funding arrangements aim to provide an appropriate balance between the need to move resources flexibly to meet changing student demand, and the advantages for colleges of being able to plan for the medium term.
	On funding for participation, resources need to follow the learner. Colleges which attract additional students should be supported with additional funding as resources allow. Colleges which do not meet their projected student numbers must expect to adjust their plans accordingly. The LSC has arrangements in place to support colleges in financial difficulties while they make the required changes.
	On funding for improving standards and institutional development, the LSC is developing funding arrangements which support the medium term planning required for such changes. The LSC, when allocating Standards Funds to colleges for 200203 will indicate likely funding for the following two years, subject to availability of funds and progress towards agreed improvement targets.
	The Government have also given commitments to colleges about future increases in Teaching Pay Initiative allocations and an assurance that future funding arrangements will recognise the on-going commitments these represent to colleges where they consolidate these payments into lecturers' salaries.
	The Government expect the LSC, in deciding future funding arrangements, to keep under review the balance between flexible resourcing and stability in college funding.

Further Education

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role she plans for (a) further education colleges and (b) school sixth-forms in encouraging students to enter higher education.

Margaret Hodge: Further education colleges and school sixth forms both have a crucial role to play in encouraging young people to enter higher education. The Excellence Challenge brings schools and colleges together in partnership with higher education institutions to raise attainment and aspirations. Schools and FE colleges in Excellence Challenge areas will also benefit from the AimHigher roadshow, which was launched earlier this year to promote higher education to young people. FE colleges also have a valued role as providers of higher education.
	We are working with both the Learning and Skills Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England to strengthen ways in which progression to higher education can be supported and encouraged.

Further Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average funding per pupil in 16 to 19 education in (a) school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges and (c) further education colleges was in 200001 in (i) England, (ii) Hampshire, (iii) Dorset, (iv) Surrey and (v) West Sussex.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The figures for school and college funding have not been calculated on the same basis and cannot therefore be used to make comparisons. The FE unit funding figure includes total public funding allocated for further education, while the schools' figure does not. It is based only on delegated funds and excludes other funding the school receives centrally from LEAs which impacts on post-16 students.
	The latest estimate of the average delegated funding per sixth form student in schools per year in England for 200102 is 3,330. The total funding per full-time equivalent student in FE sector colleges per year in England for 200102 is estimated to be 3,660.
	Separate figures for sixth form colleges are not available. Separate figures for county funding levels are not available.

Graduates

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of each 10-year age cohort over the age of 25 years are graduates.

Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the percentage of people within each 10-year age group who hold a first degree or higher qualification, estimated from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The estimates relate only to people of working age, as the LFS does not collect data on the qualifications of people above this age unless they are in employment.
	
		Estimated percentage of the working age population in each age band who hold a first degree or higher qualification
		
			 Age group Percentage 
		
		
			 2534 21 
			 3544 17 
			 4554 16 
			 5564* 11 
			 All aged 2564(15) 17 
		
	
	(15) Excludes women aged 6064
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey, spring 2001, GB figures

Education Funding (Cheltenham)

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what effect the Budget of 17 April will have on the provision of education in Cheltenham.

Stephen Timms: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced in the Budget an additional 85 million investment in 200203 in school and college buildings in England. This means that every maintained school in England, including those in Cheltenham, will receive in 200203 an additional allocation of about 20 per cent. of New Deal for Schools devolved formula capital for schools. Colleges and other educational establishments will also receive their proportionate share. Details of changes to future funding for education will be announced when the Spending Review has been completed in the summer.

Golden Hellos (Teacher Shortages)

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what factors underlay the decision to restrict golden hello payments to shortage-subject specialists trained for secondary teaching.

Stephen Timms: Golden hellos are available in the five subject-areas where teacher recruitment is most challenging. National statistics published by my Department on 24 April showed that, in January 2002, 70 per cent. of all vacancies for full-time secondary teachers in England were in these subjects.

Ministerial Powers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what powers she holds in relation to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Estelle Morris: My powers are broadly for England, with some also extending to Wales. The education and training functions previously exercised by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland have transferred to the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland. My officials work closely with officials in the devolved Administrations on matters of mutual interest across the UK. My Department also represents the UK at international level on education, skills and youth issues, briefed, where appropriate, by the devolved Administrations. Under the Industrial Training Acts, I have levy powers across England, Scotland and Wales to fund the Industrial Training Boards.

Qualifications

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children left school in 2001 without any qualifications.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 26 April 2002
	In 2001 the proportion of pupils reaching the end of compulsory schooling without any qualifications fell for the sixth year in a row to 5.5 per cent.

Ofsted Inspections

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to ensure Ofsted inspections and individual inspectors do not influence individual school reports by applying their religious beliefs to evidence of school performance.

Stephen Timms: This is a matter for HM Chief Inspector of Schools. I have therefore asked Mike Tomlinson to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Ofsted Inspections

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of the Ofsted inspection conducted in the Torbay unitary authority Area in 2001; how many officials were involved in undertaking the inspection; and what the cost was of producing a report after the inspection.

Stephen Timms: This is a matter for HM Chief Inspector of Schools and I have therefore asked Mike Tomlinson to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

School Funding

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much direct grant was given to (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in (i) St Helens, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the north-west, (iv) the south-east and (v) England in (A) 1997, (B) 1998, (C) 1999, (D) 2000 and (E) 2001.

Stephen Timms: School Standards Grant (SSG) was not payable in 1997, 1998 and 1999. For the years 200001 and 200102 the total amount of SSG paid to all schools (primary, secondary, special, pupil referral unit and nursery), taking into account adjustments made as a result of reconciliations, is as shown on the table. A breakdown of the amounts of funding into primary and secondary schools cannot be supplied except at disproportionate cost.
	
		 
		
			  200001 200102 
		
		
			 St. Helens 1,064,000 2,345,500 
			 Merseyside 8,971,000 19,128,000 
			 the north-west 43,743,750 94,001,000 
			 the south-east 43,964,000 94,417,500 
			 England 292,711,500 631,103,500

Education Expenditure

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent by (a) St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council, (b) the average council in the north-west, (c) the average council in the south-east and (d) the average council in England on education in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000 and (v) 2001.

Stephen Timms: The table sets out the information requested. The Department is due to collect data relating to the 200102 financial year from this September.
	
		Cash 000 
		
			  Region 199798 Outturn 199899 Outturn 19992000 Outturn 200001 Outturn(16) 
		
		
			 St. Helens 78,961 84,024 85,584 91,093 
			 North west councils 131,270 138,453 146,787 157,071 
			 South east councils 142,329 150,559 171,121 183,090 
		
	
	(16) Provisional
	
		Real 000 
		
			 Region 199798 Outturn 199899 Outturn 19992000 Outturn 200001 Outturn(17) 
		
		
			 St. Helens 84,628 87,604 87,158 91,093 
			 North west councils 140,691 144,352 149,486 157,071 
			 South east councils 152,544 156,974 174,268 183,090 
			 England councils 135,033 138,618 150,106 158,057 
		
	
	(17) Provisional
	Notes:
	1. Source of figures for 199798 and 199899 are drawn from the DTLR's ROI returns.
	2. Source of figures for 19992000 and 200001 are drawn from the DfES's Section 52 Outturn statements.
	3. 200001 figures are provisional and are subject to change.
	4. Real terms figures are calculated using GDP deflators published by the Treasury 17 April 2002.
	5. Figures reflect Net Current Expenditure which covers all education expenditure by local authorities.

Parliamentary Questions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough on 19 March.

Stephen Timms: I apologise to the hon. Member for the time taken in providing an answer to his question of 19 March, but it is taking some time in compiling the information which he seeks.
	I anticipate being able to provide a reply by the end of the week.

Teachers' Salaries

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to award teachers in the FE and college sector pay awards equal to those teaching in secondary schools.

Margaret Hodge: It is for each college to agree annual pay rises and conditions of employment with its staff in the context of the overall resources available to them. We are, however, aware of the funding gap between schools and FE and have pledged to bring up levels of funding and allow upwards convergence over time as resources allow.
	We are investing significant funding in the FE sector. In 2001- 02, 527 million extra was planned for FEa 12 per cent. real terms increase, with a further 3 per cent. increase this year. By 200304, annual funding for FE will have increased by 1.4 billion compared with 199798, a real terms increase of 20 per cent. The substantial additional investment we are making in the sector should help colleges and the trade unions reach agreement on appropriate salary increase this year.
	We are also investing more than 311 million in the teaching pay initiative during the period 200104 to allow colleges, including sixth form colleges, to reward high quality teaching. This is separate to any general pay rise a teacher may receive.

Teaching Assistants

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what duties and responsibilities she has determined are appropriate for teaching assistants in (a) primary and (b) secondary sectors.

Stephen Timms: A working party involving representatives of teachers and support staff, the local government employers and other Government bodies, is currently considering the roles and responsibilities of teaching assistants in primary, secondary and special schools. Following its initial discussions, we expect to issue a consultation paper asking for comments on these and a range of other issues relating to teaching assistants and support staff. The Education Bill currently before Parliament provides for there to be regulations specifying the duties which may be carried out by teaching assistants and others who are not qualified as school teachers.

Teaching Assistants

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to provide a career structure for teaching assistants.

Stephen Timms: The question of a career structure and associated training and development for teaching assistants is being considered by a working party which includes representatives of teachers and support staff, the local government employers and other Government bodies. This group's discussions are being used to inform the production of a consultation paper which will address a range of issues relating to teaching assistants and other support staff. National vocational qualifications, based on the new national occupational standards for teaching assistants, are expected to be in place later this year and will form part of the proposed career structure.

Teaching Assistants

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to provide schools and local education authorities with model role descriptions for teaching assistants.

Stephen Timms: Possible roles for teaching assistants in schools are being considered by a working party which includes representatives of teachers and support staff, the local government employers and other Government bodies. We expect to issue a consultation paper later this term, which will ask for comments on enhanced roles and responsibilities and will address the need for the provision of guidance to schools and local education authorities.

Emmanuel College, Gateshead

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to ask Ofsted to carry out a full inspection of Emmanuel College Gateshead.

Stephen Timms: My right hon. Friend has no plans to ask HM Chief Inspector to inspect Emmanuel City Technology College.

Medical Degrees

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many medical degree places were offered by higher education institutions in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The available information is given in the table.
	
		Planned intake of pre-clinical medical students to HE institutions in the UK
		
			 Year of entry Planned intake 
		
		
			 1997 5,020 
			 1998 5,062 
			 1999 5,165 
			 2000 5,595 
			 2001 5,928

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Equal Opportunities

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the women's organisations which have been consulted over proposed legislation by her Department during (a) 200001 and (b) 200002 sessions; and if their responses have been published.

Ben Bradshaw: The FCO consulted widely on the draft International Criminal Court Bill in 2000. Among others, the consultation document was sent to the Coalition for an ICC (which includes the Women's Caucus for Gender Issues and Sisterhood International) and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. There were no other cases in the years in question when women's organisations were consulted.

Special Advisers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many special advisers were employed by him (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive; and what the total amount spent on special advisers by the Department was in each of those years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is as follows:
	(a) Two, at a cost of 51,647 in salary and pension contributions.
	(b) Two.
	1998: 79,090
	1999: 93,259
	2000: 132,733
	Special adviser pay for 200102 is under review. Figures for 2001 will not be available until the work of the review has been completed.

Part-time Employees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are part-time employees.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 10 April 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 49W.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseeker's allowance or other benefits.

Ben Bradshaw: None of our non-departmental public bodies has employed anyone under the New Deal for Young People over the last four years.

Performance Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the target has been in each of the last five years for efficiency savings as a percentage of total running costs for each of the non- departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and if the target was met.

Denis MacShane: HM Treasury requires executive non-departmental public bodies to include this information in their annual reports. The annual reports for the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe, the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, the British Council, the Great Britain-Russia Centre and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy are available in the House Library. The annual report for the Great Britain-China Centre will be placed in the Library shortly.

Intervention

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on intervention in matters within the sovereign responsibility of foreign states.

Denis MacShane: The Government believe that sovereignty entails responsibility. The international community has a shared responsibility to intervene when confronted with massive violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity. Any such action should be carried out in accordance with international law.

Better Quality Services Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the services of his Department have not been reviewed under the Better Quality Services Initiative; and when they will be reviewed.

Denis MacShane: My noble Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster informed Departments on 6 February that he had decided to discontinue the Better Quality Services (BQS) scheme.
	Three BQS reviews, of consular services, security and training are still in progress. All are expected to be completed by this summer. In addition the following BQS reviews remained in the programme agreed between the FCO and the Cabinet Office:
	
		
			  Review Scheduled 
		
		
			 Personnel Management and Assessment Units 2002 
			 Resource Management Group, FCO Services 2002 
			 Personnel Services (excluding Superannuation) Personnel Command 2002 
			 Personnel Policy, Personnel Command 2002 
			 Prosper (Retirement Service) 2002 
			 Crystal Print Services, FCO Services 2002 
			 Conference  Visits Group, FCO Services 200203 
			 Library  Information Services, FCO Services 2002 
			 Logistical Services/Airfreight Contract 2003 
			 Protocol (including Honours  Royal Matters) 2003 
			 Information Services (Overseas  Home) 200304 
			 Procurement (Purchasing, Global Procurementincluding the Logistics contract, Workshops) FCO Services, Purchasing Directorate and small purchasing units 2003 
			 Medical  Welfare, Personnel Command 2004 
			 Information Technology (IT Strategy Unit/Information Systems Services/ IT Projects/IT Support/ Comcen/IT Training/ Engineering Services) 200405 
		
	
	The FCO is currently considering how best to conduct internal reviews of effectiveness in future, to provide assurance that high standards of performance, particularly in areas of customer focus and service delivery are achieved and maintained. Reviews of personnel and public diplomacy are already in hand.

Madagascar

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Madagascar with regard to the prospects of avoiding conflict in that country.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 26 April 2002
	We welcome the signature of the Dakar Accord on 18 April 2002 by President Didier Ratsiraka and presidential candidate Marc Ravalomanana. Both parties have agreed to form a transitional government of national unity, to work together through dialogue to find a sustainable solution and to bring to an end to the violence and the various blockades which have brought Madagascar to a virtual standstill. Both parties need to live up to this undertaking. We will continue, with our EU and international partners, to monitor developments.

Press Subscriptions

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the newspapers subscribed to (a) Monday to Saturday and (b) on Sunday by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 26 April 2002
	A list giving the requested information will be deposited in the Library of the House. The annual cost of newspapers supplied to the FCO is estimated at 78,147. This does not include the cost of newspapers supplied to overseas posts, which could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.

Press Subscriptions

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the magazines and periodicals subscribed to by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 26 April 2002
	A complete list of magazines and periodicals supplied to the FCO as a whole could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. The total annual cost under the FCO's main contracts is estimated at 392,509.

No-fly Zones

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the no fly-zones in preventing Saddam Hussein from repressing the Iraqi people.

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the continuing need for the no-fly zones over Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The no-fly zones were established in support of UNSCR 688. This called on Iraq to end its brutal repression of Kurds and other minority groups in the north and of the Shia community in the south. The no-fly zones were set up in response to a grave humanitarian crisis and they prevent Saddam Hussein from once again using his air power against the civilian population in those areas.

Terrorism

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure greater consistency in the Government's treatment of terrorism in regard to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Iraq and (d) Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Government policy towards terrorism is entirely consistent. We condemn all acts of terrorism wherever they occur.

Terrorism

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration regarding military action against terrorism in the Middle East.

Ben Bradshaw: We regularly discuss all aspects of the campaign against terrorism with the US administration. The Prime Minister spoke to President Bush about this when they met earlier this month.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will publish the Green Paper on strengthening the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention and countering the threat from biological weapons.

Jack Straw: I am today publishing the Green Paper. Copies will be placed in the Library and it can also be accessed on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk.
	The Green Paper sets out the work that has been undertaken over many years to develop measures to make the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention more effective. The Foreign Affairs Committee, and Parliament in general, have supported these efforts, for which the Government are grateful.
	The paper expresses our disappointment at the failure of the States Parties to agree on the text of a Protocol to the Convention last year, despite all our efforts. It also explains why, despite this disappointment, it is still essential that efforts continue to find ways in which the convention can be strengthened and to counter the threat from biological weapons.
	The Green Paper identifies possible measures that States Parties might now consider to strengthen the convention. It discusses UK priorities and the next steps ahead of the reconvened BTWC Fifth Review Conference, in Geneva, on 11 November. It also invites comments on these proposals and seeks views from hon. Members, NGOs and other organisations and individuals with an interest in this subject.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Staff

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will set out for each civil service grade within her (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, (ii) number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26 to 35, (C) 36 to 45, (D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, (iii) number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities.

Patricia Hewitt: I am placing the details requested for staff within DTI headquarters and the Department's executive agencies (Radiocommunications Agency, Insolvency Service, National Weights and Measures Laboratory, Employment Tribunal Service, Small Business Service, Patent Office and British Trade International) in the Libraries of the House.
	I have asked the chief executive of Companies House which do not use our database to write with similar information.
	Letter from John Holden to Mr. Paul Burstow
	In response to your PQ2001/3055 on numbers employed by age range, the following are the figures for Companies House.
	(i) Total employed: 1,186
	(ii)
	A. Age 1625: 192
	B. Age 2635: 265
	C. Age 3645: 411
	D. Age 4660: 284
	E. Over 60: 34
	(iii) Registered disabled: 48
	(iv) Ethnic minorities: 46

Sizewell B Inquiry

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of the Sizewell B Inquiry was.

Brian Wilson: The costs of the public inquiry completed in 1985 and attributed to the then Department of Energy, or recoverable from the Central Electricity Generating Board, totalled some 2.5 million. However the full costs of the inquiry would be several times that amount and would include the costs of CEGB applying for consent for the power station and the costs of other parties that participated in the inquiry. As the information is not held centrally within my Department, and the length of time since the inquiry, an estimate of the full costs cannot now be obtained without disproportionate costs.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what have been the total salary costs of each of the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible in each of the last five years.

Patricia Hewitt: Following is the information requested:
	
		000 
		
			   199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service 16,170 17,156 18,627 21,442 24,819 
			 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 82,800 85,600 82,100 84,600 86,700 
			 Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils 45,700 47,900 48,400 49,900 53,100 
			 Economic and Social Research Council 2,100 2,300 2,200 2,200 2,500 
			 Engineering and Physical Science Research Council 7,100 7,100 7,000 7,300 7,900 
			 Medical Research Council 76,000 78,000 82,000 87,000 92,000 
			 Natural Environment Research Council 76,300 79,300 78,300 77,600 80,200 
			 Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council 12,300 10,900 8,300 8,600 9,500 
			 Advantage West Midland   4,058 5,493 6,714 
			 East of England Development Agency(18)   2,284 3,289 4,028 
			 East Midlands Development Agency(18)   3,771 4,284 4,814 
			 North West Development Agency(18)   6,317 7,742 8,538 
			 One North East(18)   6,273 7,135 7,344 
			 South East England Development Agency(18)   3,438 4,680 5,649 
			 South West of England Development Agency(18)   4,737 5,637 6,337 
			 Yorkshire Forward(18)   5,645 6,278 7,708 
			 Coal Authority 2,544 2,535 2,693 2,811 3,098 
			 Competition Commission 3,837 3,767 4,302 5,032 5,355 
			 Consumer Council for Postal Services (Postwatch)(19) 1,744 
			 Design Council 1,333 1,324 1,601 1,856 1,978 
			 Gas and Electricity Consumer Council (Energywatch)(20) 5,800 
			 United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority 62,800 66,100 73,000 76,300 84,600 
		
	
	(18) The Regional Development Agencies were established in 1999
	(19) The Consumer Council for Postal Services was established on 1 January 2001
	(20) The Gas and Electricity Consumer Council was established on 1 November 2000
	Notes:
	1. The figures include ERNIC and superannuation costs
	2. The 200102 figures are provisional
	The information in respect of the National Consumer Council and SITPRO Ltd. can be found in their respective annual reports. Copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Voluntary Sector

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) of 25 January 2002, Official Report, columns 118385W, on Government funding of the voluntary sector, if she will list the grant schemes and other mechanisms by which her Department distributes funding to voluntary sector organisations.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 19 April 2002
	Information on my Department's funding sources and initiatives can be found in table C1 and in the text of my Department's 2001 expenditure plans report (Cm 5112), a copy of which is in the Libraries of the House.
	Many of my Department's programmes are not sector specific and providing further information on take-up of these programmes by the voluntary sector would entail disproportionate cost. However, my Department directly funded the following voluntary organisations in 200001:
	
		
			 Organisation Funding 
		
		
			 National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux ( million) 16.9 
			 Citizens Advice, Scotland ( million) 2.225 
			 Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents () 180,000 
			 Child Accident Prevention Trust () 25,000 
			 Business Volunteer Mentoring Association ( million) 1 
			 Other () 25,015

Alternative Fuels

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what degree energy production from (a) renewable sources, (b) wind and (c) CHP have changed since the introduction of NETA.

Brian Wilson: The most recent data on the electricity output from renewable, wind and CHP sources were published on 31 August 2001 by Ofgem in its Report to the DTI on the Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators, covering the first two months of NETA operation. It found that, for those two months, compared with the corresponding two-month period a year earlier, output had decreased as follows:
	(a) for renewables (excluding hydro and wind), by 7 per cent;
	(b) for hydro, by 14 per cent;
	(c) for wind, by 13 per cent; and
	(d) for CHP, by 61 per cent.
	A significant rise in gas prices that occurred in the same months may have contributed to the very large fall in CHP output recorded in the survey period.
	Ofgem has committed in its corporate plan to carry out a review of NETA covering the first year of operation, to be published in the second quarter of 2002. Ofgem has indicated it intends to include as part of its one year review a chapter on the impact of NETA on smaller generators during the first year of NETA operation. In addition, further data on the output of electricity from renewables (including wind) and CHP sources are expected to be published in July 2002 in the DTI's annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics.
	Following the Ofgem report of 31 August 2001, the Government set up a consultation on NETA and smaller generators, and on 4 April 2002 published their response. This identifies action to help smaller generators operate more effectively within NETA. It is available on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/ industries_energy.html#markets.
	The introduction of the Renewables Obligation on 1 April this year provides a substantial impetus to the use of renewable electricity. On CHP, DEFRA are working to produce a draft strategy that will be out to consultation shortly. In the recent Budget, several measures were announced that would benefit CHP, including extending the exemption of CHP from the climate change levy.

Miners' Compensation

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of claimants represented by each of the top 10 claims handlers have been refused any settlement for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers.

Brian Wilson: The percentage of claims denied for compensation under the chronic bronchitis and emphysema Claims Handling Agreement, as a percentage of total claims received, for each of the top 10 claims handlers is as follows:
	
		Percentage 
		
			 Top 10 claims handlers Ineligible 
		
		
			 Thompsons 4.8 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 6.3 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 4.9 
			 Raleys 2.8 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 0.8 
			 Browell Smith  Co. 1.3 
			 Graysons 3.9 
			 Watson Burton 1.0 
			 Irwin Mitchells 3.6 
			 Randell Saunders 3.5 
		
	
	The percentage of claims denied for compensation under the vibration white finger Claims Handling Agreement, as a percentage of total claims received, for each of the top 10 claims handlers is as follows:
	
		Percentage 
		
			 Top 10 claims handlers Denied 
		
		
			 Thompsons 24.5 
			 Browell Smith  Co. 21.6 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 11.0 
			 Raleys 16.0 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 23.8 
			 Graysons 17.6 
			 Moss 31.2 
			 Watson Burton 20.0 
			 AMS Law 30.8 
			 Towells 15.8 
		
	
	Some of these claimants will be submitting further evidence of vibration exposure which may allow these claims to be reconsidered. The procedure for this has been agreed with the claimants' solicitors.

Miners' Compensation

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the probable total compensation payout to claimants for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers.

Brian Wilson: It is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of costs of British Coal health claims due to the number of new claims being registered each week. Almost 700 new respiratory disease and 300 vibration white finger claims continue to be registered each week. Presently the Department estimates that the total cost of both compensation schemes will be around 6 billion.

Miners' Compensation

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average level of final settlement for claimants represented by each of the top 10 claims handlers for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coal miners has been.

Brian Wilson: The average full and final settlement for each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema is as follows:
	
		 
		
			 Top 10 claims handlers Average full and final settlement 
		
		
			 Thompsons 6,267 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 8,713 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 4,281 
			 Raleys 4,416 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 5,251 
			 Browell Smith and Co. 6,719 
			 Graysons 4,624 
			 Watson Burton 4,936 
			 Irwin Mitchells 6,088 
			 Randell Saunders 6,329 
		
	
	The average full and final settlement for each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for vibration white finger is as follows:
	
		 
		
			 Top 10 claims handlers Average full and final settlement 
		
		
			 Thompsons 7,283 
			 Browell Smith and Co. 9,011 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 8,052 
			 Raleys 6,923 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 7,220 
			 Graysons 5,978 
			 Moss 6,891 
			 Watson Burton 8,697 
			 AMS Law 8,455 
			 Towells 8,310

Air Traffic Control System (Tanzania)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account was taken of the effect on jobs at BAe Systems in deciding to grant an export licence for the sale of an air traffic control system to Tanzania.

Nigel Griffiths: All relevant export licence applications are considered on a case by case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. The effect of proposed exports on the economic, social, commercial and industrial interest of the producer country will not effect the application of the criteria in the EU code of conduct.

Air Traffic Control System (Tanzania)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria were taken into account in deciding to grant an export licence for BAE Systems in respect of its sale of an air traffic control system to Tanzania.

Nigel Griffiths: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 869.

Export Licences

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the decision in 1997 to give preliminary clearance to Siemens Plessey Electronic Systems under the F680 procedure was taken into account in determining the application for an export licence.

Nigel Griffiths: The Form 680 process is administered by the Ministry of Defence and provides advice on the prospects for approval at the marketing stage. When the Government provides Form 680 advice it is always made clear to companies that such advice does not constitute an export licence, nor does it guarantee that an export licence will be approved for the future export of goods and technology.
	All relevant export licence applications are considered on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time of the application. Export licensing decisions do not take into account previous advice provided under the Form 680 process.

BP (Secondments)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost to her Department for the secondment of BP employees since January 2000 has been.

Patricia Hewitt: Records held centrally show the total cost of reimbursement to BP for provision of secondees into DTI in the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2002 as 80,334.

BP (Secondments)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what expenses and travel costs BP employees on secondment to her Department are allowed to claim.

Patricia Hewitt: Terms and conditions of secondments into the Department are set out in contractual agreements. The standard terms for all secondees in relation to travel and subsistence costs are that the Department reimburses direct to secondees the cost of any travel, subsistence and other expenditure that they may incur in the course of their work while on secondment. Reimbursement is at DTI rates and is made in accordance with departmental rules. The only exception to this arrangement is where any secondee has the use of a company car and uses it on DTI business. In these instances the secondee is not paid a DTI mileage rate but is reimbursed actual costs of petrol used.

BP (Secondments)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the secondment of Mr. Bob Saunders from BP to her Department began; what the duration of the secondment will be; what the terms and conditions of the secondment are; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The secondment of Robert Saunders is due to start on 1 May 2002. The secondment will be for two years and will be subject to standard contractual terms and conditions applied to all secondments into the Department.

BP (Secondments)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if employees from BP have to sign the Official Secrets Act when they are accepted on secondment to her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: While neither permanent staff nor secondees have to sign the Official Secrets Act all secondments into the Department are subject to specific contractual terms. The contracts, which are signed by the secondee, make it clear that they are subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1989 and to certain other Acts which prohibit unauthorised disclosure of various categories of information and that they are therefore required to conform to the Department's security procedures. An explanatory booklet summarising the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1989 is sent to each secondee with their contract. Additionally the contract makes clear that secondees, like civil servants, are also required to exercise care in handling information that they acquire in the course of their official duties and to protect information that is held in confidence.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Recruitment

Julian Lewis: To ask the President of the Council how many net additional staff his Office has recruited in each month since June 2001 at (a) executive officer level and (b) administrative level.

Robin Cook: Since June 2001, my Office has recruited three net additional staff, one at executive officer level in October 2001 and two at administrative level, one in January 2002 and one in February 2002.
	It has also in the same period been reduced in size by one senior civil servant.

Young People

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the President of the Council on what subjects and on which dates his Department has consulted organisations representing young people; and if he will list such organisations.

Robin Cook: My Department has not yet consulted any organisations representing young people. However, my colleague the Parliamentary Secretary is extremely concerned about voter apathy in the young. He is working with the National Council of Voluntary Organisations and the Children and Young People's Unit to arrange some discussion sessions with young people.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Special Advisers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many special advisers were employed by the Cabinet Office (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive; and what the total amount spent on special advisers by the Department was for each of those years.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 11 April 2002, Official Report, column 552W.

Press Office

Simon Burns: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost of running the Department's press office was in (a) 199697 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Christopher Leslie: The total cost of running the Department's press office in 199697 was 933,000.00 and 1,430,000.00 in 200001.
	The figure has risen steadily over the years largely due to the increased range of Cabinet Office activity and responsibilities related to increases in ministerial posts and setting up new units. This in turn has resulted in increased communication activity.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits.

Christopher Leslie: The non-departmental public bodies for which the Deputy Prime Minister has responsibility have employed no people under the New Deal for Young People scheme in each of the last four years.

Publicity Expenditure

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002, regarding publicity expenditure, how many additional staff have been recruited as a result of the additional 326,000 advertising expenditure between 199899 and 200001, in which posts; and at what cost to public funds.

Christopher Leslie: The costs referred to in the response dated 25 March (36166) were identified from the financial accounting system which uses one account code for press advertising (including recruitment adverts). To attribute these costs to individual recruitment campaigns or other publicity could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For details of advertising expenditure on recruitment of staff in the calendar year of 2001 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 294W.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Churchill's Bunker (Neasden)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of refurbishing Winston Churchill's bunker in Neasden; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
	Winston Churchill's bunker in Neasden is owned by Network Housing Association, a registered social landlord. It is situated on a site purchased in April 1997 Network Housing Association, from the London Borough of Brent.
	The planning permission granted for affordable housing development on the site included an obligation that the bunker, a listed building, be opened under the 'London Open House Scheme' to the public, on two days a year for three years after completion of remedial works to satisfy health and safety requirements.
	The remedial works carried out on the bunker cost 40,000 and were paid for from Network Housing Association's own resources.

New Millennium Experience Company

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 20 March 2002, Official Report, column 391W, on NMEC, what will happen to the 25 million that is not required; and where it is at the moment.

Kim Howells: The funds currently lie with the Millennium Commission's share of the National Lottery Distribution Fund. The Millennium Commission has not made a decision about how these funds might be used.

Correspondence

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will investigate the reasons that (a) the letter of the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge to the Under-Secretary of State at her Department of 6 November 2001 remained unanswered until 16 April 2002 and (b) the reason for the delay in her Department determining that the question posed in the original letter falls outside its remit.

Kim Howells: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member. His letter was transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry as that Department is responsible for advertising and advertising campaigns. Unfortunately there was a breakdown in communications during this process and action has now been taken to ensure this does not happen again. In 2001, the Department answered 90 per cent. of Members' correspondence within 18 working days and I am satisfied that this was an isolated incident.

Museums and Galleries (Free Entry)

Ivan Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in providing free entry to museums and galleries.

Kim Howells: Entry to the permanent collections at all the main museums and galleries sponsored by my Department is now free to everyone. This policy took effect from 1 December 2001 and represents the delivery of a key element of our manifesto commitment. In the first four months since the introduction of free admission at those museums and galleries that previously charged visitor numbers have increased by an average of seventy five per cent. This means that an extra 1.7 million people have been able to enjoy admission to these priceless collections free of charge, no matter what their income or background.

ITV Digital

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment she had made of the implications of the collapse of ITV Digital for the provision of ITV franchise licence fees under the digital dividend of (a) Granada plc and (b) Carlton Communications plc;
	(2)  if she will review the terms of the digital dividend rebate offered to ITV companies for the promotion of digital television.

Kim Howells: Under the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 1996, the percentage of qualifying multiplex revenue payable to the Independent Television Commission by the digital terrestrial licencees has been set by order at nil for the duration of the licences. The purpose of this is to promote the availability of free-to-view digital television by offsetting related costs. The ITV companies therefore do not make payments to the Treasury on the proportion of their advertising revenue attributed to viewing in homes that are digital. There are no plans to review or alter this framework.

Ministerial Training

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much has been spent by her Department on training by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts for Ministers and officials in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much has been spent by her Department on voice coaching for Ministers and officials in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how much has been spent by her Department on training in leadership skills for Ministers and officials in each of the last five years.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The Department has recently introduced a leadership programme which includes a module covering the use of the voice. In the financial year 200102 20,531 was spent on leadership training.
	Our records indicate that no official has received training from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in the last three years. Retrieving the information prior to that date would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Department does not provide training for Ministers.

Warship Preservation

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy that (a) HMS Whimbrel and (b) HMS Zenith be preserved in Chatham Dockyard.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust have no knowledge of any plans to seek the preservation of either HMS Whimbrel or HMS Zenith at Chatham. Neither were built at ChathamHMS Whimbrel was a sloop built at Yarrow in 1942 and HMS Zenith a destroyer built by Denny's in 1944. Both were sold after the war to the Egyptian Navy. The trust's research suggests that neither ship served with the Chatham Division of the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
	The trust's current museum collecting policy does not foresee the acquisition of further ships. Not only would there be difficulty in locating them (the trust's three dry docks are occupied with their existing ships) but the trust does not have the financial resources available to support further major vessels.

Warship Preservation

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Egyptian ambassador to London on (a) HMS Whimbrel and (b) HMS Zenith.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 April 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such discussions with the Egyptian ambassador to London.

Announcements (Timing)

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the process by which she decides whether an announcement is too controversial to be made in a pre-election period.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The Prime Minister publishes standard guidance on this matter before each election. The guidance published on 21 March 2002, referring to the English local elections to be held on 2 May 2002, made it clear that
	particular care should be exercised in relation to the announcement of sensitive decisions with a local dimension.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State considers each case on its merits in the light of this.

Portable Antiquities

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the portable antiquities scheme.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The trustees of the Heritage Lottery Fund met on Tuesday 23 April to consider a bid for the three-year funding of an extension of the portable antiquities scheme to the whole of England and Wales. The fund will make a full, public announcement of its decision following next week's local elections.

Digital Equipment

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps she has taken to communicate to (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) hon. Members, the importance of digital switchover.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 April 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I frequently draw the attention of hon. Members and ministerial colleagues to the digital television action plan in correspondence and in responses to parliamentary questions. The action plan sets out the Government's proposals to encourage the switchover to digital television for the benefits it can bring to consumers and to the economy.

Tourism

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the impact on tourism in England of the distribution by the Welsh Tourist Board of its marketing leaflet WalesThe Big Country; and what plans she has to enable the English Tourism Council to publish and distribute a similar leaflet in support of tourism in England.

Kim Howells: The Wales Tourist Board launched their marketing campaign in December 2001. The devolved administrations now make their own decisions on how best to promote tourism, taking into account local conditions and needs and the extent to which financial support is needed to address market failure in different parts of the country.
	A booklet Hidden England has already been produced, and is available in Tourist Information Centres in England. I have allocated a further 20 million, matched by 20 million from the industry, for marketing to the overseas markets. The domestic market is already recovering strongly.
	We are committed to improving the competitiveness of the English tourism market through an agenda of modernisation and long term strategic reform. We are currently considering how to provide better co-ordination of the marketing of England's tourism assets and will announce plans soon.

Lord Chancellor's Breakfast

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what special traffic arrangements were made for the Lord Chancellor's guests attending his most recent official breakfast, with special reference to obeying traffic lights and parking in bus lanes.

Michael Wills: I have been asked to reply.
	My right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor holds an Annual Breakfast Reception. This last occurred not recently but on 1 October 2001, and takes place as part of the ceremonies to mark the Opening of the Legal Year, in Westminster Hall immediately following the Judges' Service held in Westminster Abbey.
	That is the only official Breakfast which the Lord Chancellor holds.
	The most recent formal legal occasion was the annual Silk Ceremony on 10 April, when 113 new Queen's Counsel attended in Royal Gallery to make their formal declaration of Office before the Lord Chancellor upon taking Silk.
	There was traffic disruption in front of the Houses of Parliament on 10 April, caused by a demonstration unrelated to the Ceremony.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Crown Courts

George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost in 200001 was of (a) the maintenance of each of the Crown courts in England and (b) administering each of the Crown courts in England; and what the average cost per case heard was of each of the Crown courts in 200001.

Michael Wills: (a) The table provides the cost of maintenance of each of the Crown (and combined) courts in England for the financial year 200001. The figures reflect gross cash expenditure and are based on routine maintenance works only. They do not include figures for any major maintenance/building enhancement works. Figures for the combined courts reflect the total costs of the buildings including non-Crown court areas. For information purposes, the average cost of maintenance per square metre of each court centre is also included.
	(b) A significant proportion of the cost of administering the Crown court is paid for as central overheads and is not held in a format which can identify the individual costs of each court centre. To do so otherwise would incur disproportionate costs to the Department. For information purposes, however, the total cost of administering the Crown court in 200001 across England and Wales was 281 million. This figure excludes legal aid costs. The total number of cases disposed of during the same period across England and Wales was:
	Committals for trials71,330
	Cases for sentence27,018
	Appeals cases13,698.
	Based on the total number of disposals (112,046) the indicative average cost figure per case is 2,544. However this does not take into account the relative weighting of each of the different types of cases.
	
		
			 Circuit/Combined court centre Expenditure () 
		
		
			 Midland circuit  
			 Coventry 91,019 
			 Derby 80,341 
			 Lincoln 31,884 
			 Northampton 84,883 
			 Nottingham 136,815 
			 Stafford 92,347 
			 Stoke on Trent 83,409 
			 Warwick 5,632 
			 Warwick Office 12,147 
			 Wolverhampton 86,925 
			 North Eastern circuit  
			 Bradford 129,062 
			 Great Grimsby 58,462 
			 Kingston upon Hull 87,632 
			 Leeds 172,813 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 174,700 
			 Sheffield 125,097 
			 Teesside 106,031 
			 Northern circuit  
			 Bolton 55,192 
			 Burnley 31,733 
			 Carlisle 49,576 
			 Liverpool 280,152 
			 Manchester Crown and County courts 259,674 
			 Preston 216,270 
			 South Eastern circuit  
			 Basildon 76,932 
			 Canterbury 59,738 
			 Chichester 64,512 
			 Croydon 99,755 
			 Hove Trial centre 64,397 
			 Lewes 87,338 
			 Maidstone 143,436 
			 Norwich 88,303 
			 Oxford 93,153 
			 Peterborough 54,431 
			 Wales and Chester circuit  
			 Warrington 70,505 
			 Western circuit  
			 Bournemouth 119,860 
			 Exeter 55,543 
			 Gloucester 24,645 
			 Newport (IOW) 39,190 
			 Plymouth 79,320 
			 Portsmouth 214,395 
			 Salisbury 32,708 
			 Southampton 108,349 
			 Swindon 39,873 
			 Taunton 66,342 
			 Truro 55,646 
			 Weymouth and Dorchester 8,772 
			 Weymouth and Dorchester Offices 4,192 
			 Winchester 38,488 
			  
			 Total expenditure 4,241,618 
		
	
	
		
			 Circuit/Crown court centre Expenditure () 
		
		
			 Midland circuit  
			 Birmingham 122,407 
			 Hereford 11,681 
			 Leicester 94,067 
			 Lincoln (Castle) 25,413 
			 Shrewsbury 26,783 
			 Worcester 81,511 
			 North Eastern circuit  
			 Doncaster 68,025 
			 Durham 21,105 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Offices 21,405 
			 York 35,788 
			 Northern circuit  
			 Lancaster 5,745 
			 Manchester 185,145 
			 Preston 27,627 
			 South Eastern circuit  
			 Aylesbury 10,145 
			 Aylesbury Offices  
			 Blackfriars 127,207 
			 Bury St. Edmunds 2,285 
			 Cambridge 10,304 
			 Central Criminal court 39,321 
			 Chelmsford 106,293 
			 Guildford 45,461 
			 Harrow 100,506 
			 Ipswich 25,195 
			 Isleworth 50,101 
			 Kings Lynn 9,704 
			 Kingston upon Thames 153,011 
			 Luton 77,083 
			 Middlesex Guildhall 93,660 
			 Reading 90,753 
			 Snaresbrook 253,546 
			 Southend 8,257 
			 Southwark 137,407 
			 St. Albans 33,402 
			 Wood Green 115,554 
			 Woolwich 160,975 
			 Wales and Chester circuit  
			 Chester 61,469 
			 Knutsford 17,444 
			 Western circuit  
			 Bristol 201,600 
			 Gloucester 28,607 
			  
			 Total expenditure 2,685,992

Immigration Appellate Authority

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the backlog of cases in the IAA is; and what estimate she has made of how long it will take to clear the backlog.

Rosie Winterton: There is currently no backlog of asylum cases within the IAA. At the end of March the IAA was dealing with 20,626 outstanding adjudicator appeals, 1,883 outstanding leave to appeal applications and 1,753 outstanding substantive tribunal appeals. This level of work in progress for asylum cases is necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the IAA and is based on the SDA target of clearing 65 per cent. of all cases through both tiers within 17 weeks.
	The IAA is also currently dealing with 4,114 adjudicator appeals, 36 leave to appeal applications and 39 substantive tribunal appeals in immigration cases. In each instance, this is within or in line with expectation. These immigration figures do not cover family visit visas.

Solar Panels

Ian Lucas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what Government buildings owned by the Lord Chancellor's Department have solar panels installed.

Michael Wills: The Lord Chancellor's Department does not own any buildings with solar panels.

Personal Injury Pre-action Protocol

Terry Rooney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what advice the Lord Chancellor's Department has given to solicitors and the Law Society on the operation of the personal injury pre-action protocol.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 18 April 2002
	None. The Law Society was instrumental in the development of this protocol. The pre-action protocols are designed to be self explanatory. Each protocol contains notes for guidance on the operation of the protocol.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans she has to allow parents to appeal against the decision of reports prepared for family courts by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Rosie Winterton: None. The purpose of the report is to advise the court. The court must take account of the Children and Family Reporter's recommendation but is not bound to follow it. If a party to proceedings has concerns about the report written by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) or alternate proposals to put before the court, it is possible for all parties to the case to put forward their proposals, or raise concerns, at or before the hearing where the CAFCASS officer can be questioned on the content of the report.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what training she provides to staff working for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; and what qualifications they require.

Rosie Winterton: All practitioners from the Family Court Welfare Service and Guardian Ad Litem Service who transferred to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) on 1 April 2001 have the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) awarded by Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW), now the Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services (TOPSS), or an equivalent qualification. This is still a requirement for all staff appointed as of 1 April 2001.
	All staff are encouraged to undertake post-qualifying training approved by TOPSS, such as the Post Qualification award in child care (PQCCA) or in some instances the Advanced Award in Social Work. The PQCCA is at post graduate diploma level, being specific to social work with children and the PQAA is at Masters level.
	Most CAFCASS officers also have many years of experience working in the Family Courtssupported by a programme of induction, and training and development relevant to their work.

Immigration Appeals

Tom Cox: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the estimated waiting time is for an immigration appeal to be heard.

Rosie Winterton: The average time to hearing for immigration cases received by the IAA between 1 October 2001 and 31 October 2001 was 5.2 weeks to first hearing and 12.5 weeks to substantive hearing at the adjudicator stage.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 6 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. J. B. Cooper.

Alistair Darling: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 11 March.

Regulatory Impact Unit

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members his Department employs in its Regulatory Impact Unit; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: One member of staff works full time in the Department's Regulatory Impact Unit. This is a dedicated resource which co-ordinates activity relating to all better regulation issues in the Department.
	It is the job of the Department's Regulatory Impact Unit to establish and promote in the Department, the principles of good regulation, so that all officials within it may contribute effectively to the Government's regulatory reform initiative. The unit also works closely with the Regulatory Impact Unit in the Cabinet Office, and with the Small Business Service. A key element of the unit's work is to help minimise the impact on business, charities, and the voluntary sector, of those departmental regulations which are necessary.

Pensions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information he collates on the cumulative value of employers' contributions to a pension scheme (a) on a defined benefit basis and (b) on a defined contribution basis; and if he will make a statement on current trends in what is offered under each of these structures.

Maria Eagle: The cumulative value of occupational pension funds depends on a number of factors including investment growth, employer and employee contributions, tax relief, national insurance rebates, pension payments and transfers. It is not possible to calculate the cumulative value of employer contributions separately.
	However this Department does collect information on private sector contribution rates to defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes as a proportion of employee salary, through the Employer Pension Provision (EPP) Report. The EPP Report 2000 was published on 18 March 2002, and shows that the median employer contribution rate in 'salary related' (defined benefit) schemes was 6 per cent. of pay, and the rate in 'money purchase' (defined contribution) schemes was 5 per cent. of pay. A copy of the report is available in the Library.
	The Government Actuary's Department produces its Occupational Pension Schemes survey every five years. The most recent survey, for 1995, is in the House of Commons Library. It collects data on employers' contribution rates for defined contribution occupational schemes as a proportion of employee salary (note: this does not include payments to personal pensions or group personal pensions).
	The Office for National Statistics collects data on the total amounts contributed to non-state pensions in its MQ5 series, produced quarterly. These figures have been withdrawn due to errors in the publication, and are being investigated.
	For information about current trends, I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 4 February 2002, Official Report, columns 66068.

Equipment Leasing

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by his Department in each of the last four years; and what the cost is to public funds in each case.

Ian McCartney: Most equipment used by the Department is not leased but obtained via service contracts. Most office equipment is provided under serviced accommodation arrangements under the 20-year PRIME PFI deal for estates management services or under other facilities management contracts. IS/IT and telephony equipment is not leased but provided or sourced under long-term service contracts. The Department does enter into leasing agreements for some other equipment, principally photocopiers, but these arrangements are made at local level. The information on these arrangements required to answer the question is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Job Advertisements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the job advertisements placed by his Department in the last 12 months specifying where the advertisements were placed and the cost in each case.

Ian McCartney: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Part-time Employees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are part-time employees.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 11 April 2002, Official Report, column 553W.

Hospitalisation (Benefit Downrating)

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have their attendance allowance withdrawn because they have been in hospital for four weeks or longer.

Maria Eagle: When attendance allowance recipients have been in hospital for 28 days, payments are suspended pending their discharge because the needs arising from their disability are being met free of charge. Information is not available on the annual number of suspensions resulting from these circumstances. The latest available information is that, at 30 November 2001, about 15,600 claims were at that time recorded as suspended as a result of a stay in hospital.
	This figure is based on 5 per cent. data and rounded to the nearest hundred.

HOME DEPARTMENT

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the most recent report on the UK by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

Michael Wills: I have been asked to reply.
	Under Article 11 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, it is for the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture to publish reports of its visits together with any comments of the state party concerned. Formally, publication is at the request of the state party.
	We have made that request and I understand that the report on the Committee's visit to the United Kingdom in February 2001 is now available on the Committee's website www.cpt.coe.int with the UK's observations.
	I am placing a copy of the report in the Library.

Emergency Services

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue was generated through the sale of radio frequencies used by emergency services.

John Denham: There has been no sale of radio frequencies used by the emergency services, and therefore no revenue generated by this means.

Emergency Services

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the revenue generated by the sale of radio frequencies used by emergency services in the UK has been allocated for reinvestment into the refitting of vehicles and control rooms in the (a) police forces and (b) fire services.

John Denham: There has been no sale of radio frequencies used by the emergency services in the United Kingdom.

Sex Abuse

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) complaints and (b) items of correspondence have been received by (a) the Home Office, (b) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, (c) the Police Complaints Authority and (d) the Criminal Cases Review Commission in relation to historical sex abuse investigations in the UK in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2001.

John Denham: The Home Office does not officially record complaints received in writing or over the telephonethese are incorporated in overall correspondence figures. Complaints and correspondence can be individually addressed to policy units. There is no current way of tracking these accurately. Records for 1999 in relation to this question do not exist. The figures compiled for 2000 and 2001 combine both public and ministerial correspondence on the subject of violent crime/sexual offences.
	Figures for the individual areas in each year are shown in the table.
	
		
			  1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Home Office(21) n/a 83 134 
			 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)(22)
			 Police Complaints Authority(23) 61 64 70 
			 Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)(24) 1 2 6 
		
	
	(21) Figures are based on correspondence relating to violent crime/sexual offences
	(22) The subject nature of HMIC correspondence is not officially recorded, hence no figures exist
	(23) Figures are based on correspondence relating to allegations of sexual assault
	(24) Figures are based on applications for case review that involved sex abuse in care homes

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the names of organisations which have registered as umbrella bodies with the Criminal Records Bureau.

John Denham: A list of those registered bodies that have consented to having their details made available for the purpose of countersigning applications on behalf of non-registered organisations is available from the Criminal Records Bureau on request and information is also available on the website www.disclosure.gov.uk.

Criminal Records Bureau

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure that smaller voluntary and community organisations can access criminal record checks.

John Denham: We have been determined that employers and organisations wishing to use the new service provided by the new Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) will have a ready means of access. To meet the needs of those employers and organisations which do not wish to register with the bureau in their own right, we have encouraged others to consider acting on their behalf, as umbrella bodies, and we shall continue to do so. Up to 16 April 2002, 707 bodies had registered with the CRB as umbrella bodies, including 419 which have indicated that they are prepared to act on behalf of others outside their own circle or sector.

Criminal Records Bureau

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average charge made by umbrella bodies registered with the Criminal Records Bureau for processing applications for disclosure is.

John Denham: This information is not requested by the Criminal Records Bureau. In guidance for umbrella bodies, the bureau urges that any such charges should be kept to a minimum. Those wishing to use the services of an umbrella body would be well advised to ask whether charges are made and, if so, compare charges.

Offence Statistics

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the number of recorded offences for (a) begging, (b) breaching an antisocial behaviour order, (c) vagrancy, (d) noise, (e) drunkenness, (f) drunkenness with aggravation, (g) aggravated vehicle taking, (h) rowdy and disorderly group behaviour in public and (i) driving while having a breath/urine/blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit, broken down by police force area, in each year since 1997.

John Denham: holding answer 15 April 2002
	With the exception of aggravated vehicle taking, the categories mentioned are not collected centrally, or not collected separately, for recorded crime figures. The details for aggravated vehicle taking are given in the table.
	
		Recorded crimeoffences of aggravated vehicle taking by police force area since 1997(25)
		
			 Police force 1997(26) 199899(27) 19992000(27) 200001(27) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 61 30 40 19 
			 Bedfordshire 31 53 67 59 
			 Cambridgeshire 32 100 170 158 
			 Cheshire 126 149 170 141 
			 Cleveland 205 197 165 163 
			 Cumbria 63 128 139 124 
			 Derbyshire 215 226 225 189 
			 Devon and Cornwall 138 174 262 269 
			 Dorset 124 148 184 206 
			 Durham 118 114 116 94 
			 Essex(28) 167 111 21 54 
			 Gloucestershire 133 77 71 64 
			 Greater Manchester 626 1,122 1,190 1,312 
			 Hampshire 120 188 229 244 
			 Hertfordshire(28) 8 52 104 142 
			 Humberside 270 338 276 276 
			 Kent 157 191 187 158 
			 Lancashire 220 265 301 318 
			 Leicestershire 87 119 85 71 
			 Lincolnshire 71 77 73 44 
			 City of London 2 8 10 10 
			 Merseyside 136 184 251 352 
			 Metropolitan police district(28) 1,016 983 1,100 1,130 
			 Norfolk 38 53 49 80 
			 Northamptonshire 120 161 154 137 
			 Northumbria 158 270 280 316 
			 North Yorkshire 76 109 69 93 
			 Nottinghamshire 76 118 81 91 
			 South Yorkshire 412 394 357 448 
			 Staffordshire 171 241 174 159 
			 Suffolk 65 67 82 104 
			 Surrey(28) 27 60 131 149 
			 Sussex 170 288 318 343 
			 Thames Valley 203 148 175 171 
			 Warwickshire 76 50 58 70 
			 West Mercia 121 242 250 264 
			 West Midlands 299 674 770 850 
			 West Yorkshire 892 1,029 913 798 
			 Wiltshire 73 89 128 114 
			 Dyfed-Powys 90 129 109 110 
			 Gwent 140 144 143 140 
			 North Wales 109 182 135 151 
			 South Wales 589 616 604 574 
			  
			 England and Wales 8,031 10,098 10,416 10,759 
		
	
	(25) 1997 is the calendar year, with the other years ending in March.
	(26) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998.
	(27) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
	(28) There was a boundary change on 1 April 2000 in which parts of the Metropolitan police area were transferred to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey, so that these police force areas followed county boundaries thereafter.

Annual Report 200001

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what activities are covered by (a) constitutional and community, (b) criminal policing and programmes, (c) central services, (d) firearms compensation and (e) police and crime reduction as referred to in Table 11 on page 112 of the Home Office annual report 200001.

John Denham: (a) In 200001, constitutional and community work included the following issues, responsibility for which transferred to other Government Departments in the machinery of Government changes which took place on 8 June 2001: human rights, freedom of information, data protection, constitutional issues, elections, byelaws, gambling, liquor licensing, animal welfare, hunting, and planting and planning for the Golden Jubilee.
	Issues which remain the responsibility of the Home Department, and which currently fall under this heading, are:
	(1) Race equality issues, including implementation of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act and publication of race equality performance indicators across public services;
	(2) Leading cross-Government work to promote civil renewal, and to promote and support active citizenship, including a flourishing voluntary and community sector;
	(3) Developing the Government's community cohesion agenda;
	(4) Supporting the continuing development of strong and stable families;
	(5) Regulation of burial and cremation services and arrangements for the investigation of deaths;
	(6) Regulation of the use of animals for experimental and other scientific purposes;
	(7) Consultation concerning the introduction of an entitlement card scheme.
	(b) Criminal policy and programmes are led primarily in the Criminal Policy Group although clearly there are links with the work of the Policing and Crime Reduction Group (see (e). The Criminal Policy Group is responsible for Home Office Aims 3 and 4. Aim 3 is to ensure the effective delivery of justice, avoiding unnecessary delay, through efficient investigation, detection, prosecution and court procedures. To minimise the threat to and intimidation of witnesses and to engage with and support victims. Aim 4 is to deliver effective custodial and community sentences to reduce re-offending and protect the public, through the prison and probation services, in partnership with the Youth Justice Board. Current activities include:
	(1) Drafting a Criminal Justice White Paper which will introduce fundamental reforms that will enable faster, more efficient delivery of justice, with effective punishment of offenders, and fully joined up services that can rehabilitate offenders and resettle them into the community when they finish their sentence. The White Paper will include reforms following the recommendations of both the Auld report on criminal court reform and the Halliday report on sentencing, and improved consideration of the needs of the victims of crime, including restorative justice. The formulation of policy across the criminal justice system involves close working within the Home Office group and with other Government Departments and interested bodies;
	(2) Ensuring the effectiveness of work to reduce levels of re-conviction. This includes the development of improved ways of working, drawing on the work the Social Exclusion Unit has undertaken on reducing the level of re-offending among ex-prisoners, such as case management of offenders through the system and greater involvement of other agencies;
	(3) Providing a strategic framework within which the Prison Service, probation service and Youth Justice Board operate. This will be achieved in part through a Correctional Services Board which will be chaired by my right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Angela Eagle) and supported by the development of a Standards Unit to make sure best practice is shared effectively;
	(4) The Criminal Policy Group has an ongoing role in overseeing both the general effectiveness of the criminal law as it applies to both adult and juvenile offenders, and work across the criminal justice system to monitor and improve performance. This includes work to increase the number of offenders brought to justice through the development of operational guidelines and support, in particular in relation to tackling persistent offending;
	(5) Ongoing case management of serious mentally disordered offenders and the introduction and appraisal of pilot schemes for more effective treatment of dangerous people with severe personality disorders.
	(c) Central services are those areas of the Home Office which support delivery of the Home Office's aims. The activities of these central services areas are as follows: financial planning and management, accounting and audit, personnel, accommodation planning and provision, internal and external communication, information technology planning and provision, security (physical, staff and information technology), research and development (including statistical studies and Home Office publications), pay and pensions, records management, health and safety, health and welfare, Ministers' and officials' private offices, and the legal advisers' branch.
	(d) The Home Office introduced a compensation scheme for surrender of small firearms (handguns) following events in Dunblane in March 1996. The Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997 prohibited possession of handguns; compensation was paid for their surrender together with surrender of ammunition and related ancillary equipment (holsters etc.). Although the majority of weapons were surrendered during 199798, some residual cases continue to be administered by the Department.
	(e) The activities of the Policing and Crime Reduction Group centre around the provision of an efficient, effective police service and reduction in crime. Policing policy activity covers legislation and implementation of the police reform programme; personnel and resource measures to support the police, including recruitment and pay arrangements and work on police leadership, powers and procedures. The crime reduction focus of the group is achieved through developing and implementing strategies to address particular types of crime and disorder, by encouraging and providing a framework for partnership working and by developing and administering area-based initiatives such as the Crime Reduction Programme, Communities Against Drugs and Safer Communities.
	A significant part of the group's work lies in ensuring that there is scientific and technological support for the police and crime reduction. The group sponsors a number of agencies and non-departmental public bodies in this and other areas. Through the Police Standards Unit and support for the independent inspectorate (Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary), the group has a major commitment to the achievement of high standards and performance in the police service.

Correspondence

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden dated 29 January concerning funding for the Humberside police authority.

John Denham: A reply to the hon. Member was despatched on Tuesday 16 April 2002.

Pistols

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many instances single shot .22 pistols of the type used in the Commonwealth and Olympic games have been used in indictable offences within the Metropolitan police area in the past 10 years.

John Denham: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by date and by authority the HMIC reports since 1993 which cover the detailed force inspections which include arrangements for child abuse and major crime investigations.

John Denham: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) reports are public documents and copies are placed in the Library. Additionally, they can be accessed on the HMIC internet web-site: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic.
	A list of the force inspection conducted since 1995 is attached. Thematic reports have been published on matters associated with the investigation of child abuse and major crime investigation, these include: Policing London Winning Consent (although this report relates only to the Metropolitan Police Service) 2000; Child Protection, 1999. Also, HMIC are currently part of a joint inspection into Children's Safeguards being led by the Social Services Inspectorate. Her Majesty Inspectorate (HMI) Inspections of individual forces do not, however, examine specific police investigations or detail them in their Reports.
	A chronological list of all HMIC Inspections since 1993 is not available and it would involve the disproportionate use of resources to compile one.

Child Protection

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 March 2002, Official Report, column 483W, if he will list the terms of reference of the thematic inspection into child protection.

John Denham: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary conducted a Thematic Inspection entitled Child Protection in 1999. The terms of reference were as follows: To examine the role of the police service in protecting children, within a multi-agency context, and with particular reference to strategic direction, effectiveness, efficiency, innovation and good practice. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary are currently part of an Inter-Agency inspection of safeguards for children. The lead inspectorate of this inspection is the Social Services Inspectorate. Attached is a copy of the objectives for this inspection which has been placed in the Library. Any further information on the inspection should be obtained from the Department of Health.

Child Protection

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from chief constables on the way in which police authorities investigate historic allegations of child abuse.

John Denham: My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) has not received any recent representations from chief constables on this matter. However, I have met with the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead officer on child abuse, Mr. Terence Grange, to discuss these issues. It is of course for police forces and not police authorities to investigate allegations of child abuse.

Police National Computer

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many, and what types, of errors were generated by the Police National Computer in each year since 1 January 1997.

John Denham: This information is not available.

Operation Antler

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress on Operation Antler by Wiltshire Constabulary.

John Denham: holding answer 25 April 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1102W.
	The Attorney-General has granted Her Majesty's Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon permission to apply to the High Court to quash the findings of the Inquest into the death of Ronald Maddison at Porton Down in 1953. The Wiltshire Coroner will be preparing and lodging the application for an order that a new Inquest be held. Wiltshire Constabulary will continue inquiries on behalf of the Wiltshire Coroner in order to facilitate the High Court application.

Red Cross

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial support his Department has given since 1 April 2000 to projects run by the British Red Cross.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 26 April 2002
	As the Minister responsible for the voluntary and community sector, I am answering on behalf of central Government Departments.
	The latest, estimated figures for central Government support to the British Red Cross, available for the 200001 financial year only, are as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 Department for Education and Skills 98,500 
			 Department for International Development 32,011,423 
			 Northern Ireland 5,591 
			 Scottish Executive 20,220 
			  
			 Total 32,135,734 
		
	
	Note:
	These estimated figures do not include potential funding from the Welsh Assembly, which is not currently held centrally.

Young Prisoners

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenile prisoners were held in segregation units for longer than seven days in each prison since April 2000.

Beverley Hughes: As this information needs to be collated, I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Race Monitor

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the appointment of the Race Monitor under section 19E of the Race Relations Act 1976, as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

David Blunkett: I am very pleased to announce that Ms Mary Coussey has been appointed as the Race Monitor and that she has taken up post. I have asked Ms Coussey to make an interim report to me in September 2002, which I will make publicly available, and to make her first annual report to Parliament in March 2003.

Visas

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the current average time taken to process a written application for a visa under the au pair scheme in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no average times for processing applications received specifically from au pairs.
	There is a target of processing 90 per cent. of straightforward applications within 24 hours. The percentage of straightforward applications processed in financial year 200102 was 92 per cent.
	Where an interview is required the target time is 10 working days. In the last financial year 76 per cent. of posts met this target.

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years under (a) the new deal for young people, (b) the new deal for the over 50s and (c) the new deal for lone parents; and at what cost, listed by category, to public funds.

Angela Eagle: Information follows on the number of people who have been employed by the Home Department and its agencies under the new deal programmes for (a) young people; (b) the over 50s; and (c) lone parents:
	(a) 63
	(b) 0
	(c) 0.
	New deal recruits take up existing vacancies so extra costs to public funds are limited to the subsidy, where appropriate, and any additional training and development which may be needed. The cost of the latter cannot be readily identified.
	Data on the number of starts on the new deal for young people (1824) in the civil service has been recorded by the Cabinet Office since the commencement of the programme in January 1998 until 1 October 2001.
	In addition to the figure, the United Kingdom Passport Service reported that a further 185 people have been employed via the new deal initiative by the Criminal Records Bureau's business partner, Capita. The specified categories (i.e. young people, lone parents and over 50s) has not been recorded.
	We continue to remain open to the potential advantages of employing people through the new deal for the over 50s and lone parents.

Antisocial Behaviour

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deal with the problem of antisocial behaviour.

John Denham: Action to tackle antisocial behaviour is being taken across Government Departments. Among the many actions we are taking are the introduction of community safety officers, the proposals to enhance the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs), and measures to speed up court procedures for evictions for antisocial behaviour. We are consulting on further measures to deal with the problems of antisocial tenants and of abandoned vehicles.

Antisocial Behaviour

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the review of antisocial behaviour orders will be published; and if he plans to introduce new guidelines.

John Denham: The Home Office review of antisocial behaviour orders was published on 2 April 2002. We are proposing legislative changes to improve the take-up and effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders in the Police Reform Bill, and will produce clear and practical guidance on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs), including relevant case studies, to accompany these changes.

PSA Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the PSA target to reduce the economic costs of crime (a) was met in 200001 and (b) will be met in 200102.

John Denham: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The public service agreement for the economic cost of crime commits the criminal justice system departments to reduce the cost of crime by March 2004 to be measured by an indicator to be developed by March 2001.
	Estimates of the economic and social cost of crime were published in a report in December 2000, The economic and social costs of crime (Home Office Research Study 217). This sets out clearly how the figures have been derived. There are particular problems in providing accurate figures for some types of crime (especially commercial victimisation). The Criminal Justice Departments and Her Majesty's Treasury have not yet agreed how best to measure progress.
	There are no cost of crime targets for 200001 or 200102. Although there are no interim targets until 2004, we are making every effort to ensure that we reduce crimes with a high economic cost.

PSA Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the PSA target to reduce the fear of crime will be met in 200102.

John Denham: holding answer 10 April 2002
	As stated in my reply to the hon. Member on 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 701W, the target is to reduce the fear of violent crime, burglary, and vehicle crime by 2004 from their 2001 baselines. During the baseline year, 22.3 per cent. of people were very concerned about violent crime, 16.5 per cent. about burglary, and 18.5 per cent. about vehicle crime. Data for the following year have not yet been published.

Street Crime

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how police areas not included in the initial pilot scheme will benefit from the cross-Government working of the anti-street crime initiative.

John Denham: The street crime initiative is targeted at the 10 forces which account for 82 per cent. of robbery in England and Wales, but the effect of the initiative will have benefits for all police force areas. Good practice in partnership working across the criminal justice system and between other agencies will be disseminated to all areas. The 10 force initiative should serve to identify and remove any systemic blockages which may currently hinder the tackling of street crime not only in those 10 areas, but across the country. By setting up this initiative we are sending out a clear signal that we will not tolerate crime on our streets, wherever they occur.

Car Crime

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the conviction rate was for car crime offences in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: The information requested, from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, and relating to England and Wales, is shown in the table.
	
		Conviction rate(29) for persons proceeded against for certain motor vehicle offences(30), England and Wales, 1991 to 2000 -- Percentage
		
			  Conviction rate 
		
		
			 1991 68.9 
			 1992 61.7 
			 1993 59.1 
			 1994 59.1 
			 1995 59.7 
			 1996 60.4 
			 1997 61.7 
			 1998 63.0 
			 1999 63.2 
			 2000 62.0 
		
	
	(29) Number of defendants convicted at all courts as a percentage of those proceeded against in magistrates courts.
	(30) Theft of motor vehicle, unauthorised taking of motor vehicle (including being carried knowing vehicle to have been taken or driven away), aggravated vehicle taking and theft from motor vehicle.
	Information on court proceedings for 2001 will be available in the autumn.

Car Crime

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what action he is taking to increase prosecutions of those committing car crime; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what action he is taking to reduce car crime; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: The Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team (VCRAT) was set up in September 1998 to develop and oversee the implementation of initiatives to meet the Government's target to reduce vehicle crime by 30 per cent. over five years from 199899. They published their strategy for achieving the target on 22 September 1999.
	The main lines of action in the VCRAT strategy include improved security on new and used cars; improved car park security; better policing and community responses which target prolific offenders and crime hotspots; and new procedures for the detection of stolen cars at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. The Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 took forward VCRAT recommendations for regulation of the motor salvage industry and controls on the supply of vehicle number plates, and we expect to implement these provisions between July 2002 and April 2003.
	We expect these and other initiativessuch as the introduction of best value targets for forces in England and Wales; the introduction of a vehicle crime toolkit to enable forces to exchange good practice and the provision of better information to the police at the roadsideto impact on the number of apprehensions leading to an increase in the number of prosecutions for car crimes. The latest published figures show that recorded vehicle crime reduced by 10.1 per cent. in 200001 compared with 199899.

Police

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of West Mercia police officers in Telford are from a black minority ethnic background;
	(2)  what proportion of officers employed by West Mercia police are from a black minority ethnic background.

John Denham: I am told by the chief constable (Peter Heimpson) that West Mercia constabulary has seven officers who have classified themselves as black, which is 0.34 per cent. of force strength. Of this number three are deployed to the Telford division, which is 0.86 per cent. divisional strength.

Police

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the future pension costs of English police authorities; if he will list the total costs for the three financial years up to 200001; what he estimates those costs to be in each of the three succeeding years; and what proportion of the total police authority budget in each authority was represented by pension costs in (a) 200001 and (b) is estimated for 200102.

John Denham: Detailed estimates of police service costs are made annually by individual police authorities and forces. Each makes its own projection of pensions' costs. In formulating projections of grant, careful account is taken of advice from the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers on estimated increases in pensions costs.
	Total net pensions' costs for English Police Authorities were 840.9 million in 199899, 897.7 million in 199900 and are estimated at 973.5 million in 200001 and 1,055.6 million in 200102 (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police statistics).
	Police estimated spending on net pensions in England as a proportion of net expenditure in 200001 and 200102 is set out in the table.
	
		Proportion of English police authorities net expenditure spent on net pensions costs -- Percentage
		
			 Police authority 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset Police 16.16 16.65 
			 Bedfordshire Police 12.48 12.84 
			 Cambridgeshire Police 12.98 12.69 
			 Cheshire Police 11.25 13.63 
			 City of London 15.36 16.05 
			 Cleveland Police 15.18 14.85 
			 Cumbria Police 15.37 15.25 
			 Derbyshire Police 13.41 12.37 
			 Devon and Cornwall Police 13.96 14.81 
			 Dorset Police 14.00 15.05 
			 Durham Police 12.04 12.54 
			 Essex Police 11.30 12.94 
			 Gloucestershire Police 14.20 14.26 
			 Greater Manchester Police 15.21 16.25 
			 Hampshire Police 10.84 11.35 
			 Hertfordshire Police 9.80 9.51 
			 Humberside Police 14.15 14.49 
			 Kent Police 12.50 12.94 
			 Lancashire Police 13.54 14.35 
			 Leicestershire Police 12.11 12.63 
			 Lincolnshire Police 16.25 16.86 
			 Merseyside Police 15.65 16.43 
			 Metropolitan Police (GLA) 13.25 12.87 
			 Norfolk Police 12.64 12.55 
			 North Yorkshire Police 16.31 17.19 
			 Northamptonshire Police 11.91 10.83 
			 Northumbria Police 14.27 14.41 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 13.66 15.30 
			 South Yorkshire Police 10.59 12.18 
			 Staffordshire Police 14.84 17.03 
			 Suffolk Police 13.54 14.34 
			 Surrey Police 9.32 9.48 
			 Sussex Police 15.99 15.94 
			 Thames Valley Police 9.78 9.90 
			 Warwickshire Police 15.25 16.51 
			 West Mercia Police 13.26 13.65 
			 West Midlands Police 11.89 12.45 
			 West Yorkshire Police 14.18 14.98 
			 Wiltshire Police 11.11 12.26 
			  
			 Total 13.26 13.63 
		
	
	Source:
	Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police statistics (Estimates)

Police

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the figures, by police force, of those individuals who successfully applied to join the constabulary from the ranks of the specials for each year since 1997.

John Denham: Figures for recruits from the specials have not been collected consistently by forces. The figures that are available for the numbers of specials accepted to join the regular service have been collated by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and are set out in the table.
	
		
			 Force 199798 199899 19992000 200001 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 22 28 9 14 
			 Bedfordshire 9 7 0 11 
			 Cambridgeshire 9 2 14 30 
			 Cheshire 9 8 4 16 
			 City of London 4 8 0 0 
			 Cleveland 5 0 6 5 
			 Cumbria 1 4 0 3 
			 Derbyshire 22 18 22 (31) 
			 Devon and Cornwall 28 13 10 22 
			 Dorset 24 6 5 16 
			 Durham 10 12 8 13 
			 Dyfed-Powys (31) 0 (31) 10 
			 Essex 13 30 18 38 
			 Gloucestershire 3 6 8 5 
			 Greater Manchester 38 16 23 32 
			 Gwent 3 5 4 9 
			 Hampshire 26 18 27 (31) 
			 Hertfordshire 3 18 10 12 
			 Humberside 10 4 4 0 
			 Kent 9 18 23 25 
			 Lancashire 27 15 13 18 
			 Leicestershire 16 13 11 19 
			 Lincolnshire 3 0 0 8 
			 Merseyside 25 27 6 6 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 19 0 (31) 
			 Norfolk 4 0 5 17 
			 Northamptonshire 4 5 1 18 
			 Northumbria 10 15 10 36 
			 North Wales 19 13 15 8 
			 North Yorkshire 1 4 (31) 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 8 6 0 
			 South Wales 11 15 7 10 
			 South Yorkshire 17 9 13 (31) 
			 Staffordshire 35 (31) 2 37 
			 Suffolk 14 8 8 6 
			 Surrey 0 8 16 9 
			 Sussex 16 17 15 16 
			 Thames Valley 28 16 12 16 
			 Warwickshire 8 15 2 (31) 
			 West Mercia 1 2 10 8 
			 West Midlands 2 25 11 (31) 
			 West Yorkshire 25 3 10 40 
			 Wiltshire 6 2 5 13 
			 England and Wales 521 460 373 546 
		
	
	(31) Not known

Police

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to issue guidance on policing of demonstrations; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Guidance has been issued to police forces on this subject by the Association of Chief Police Officer. For operational reasons, this has not been made publicly available.

Police

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with (a) chief constables and (b) others concerning freemasonry in the police service.

John Denham: I consulted the Association of Chief Police Officers earlier this year on ways to improve the level of registration of freemasonry membership by police officers. I will take their views into account before deciding what further measures might be necessary.

Police

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many funded police officers there have been in each year in the Bury St. Edmunds parliamentary constituency since 1998.

John Denham: The information has been provided by the Chief constable (Paul Scott-Lee) Queens Police Medal (QPM). I am informed that the Bury St. Edmunds rural sector has only existed since 1999. It is therefore only possible to provide strength information from 1999. Information for actual strength in the financial years 19992000 to 200102 in the Bury St. Edmunds rural sector is set out in the table.
	
		Bury St. Edmunds rural sector
		
			 Year(32) Number of officers(33) 
		
		
			 19992000 21 
			 200001 21 
			 200102 22 
		
	
	(32) As at 31 March of each financial year.
	(33) Actual officer headcount.

Police

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is being given to police officers to improve autism awareness.

John Denham: The basic training received by all recruits to the police service includes an element designed to raise awareness of mental disorder and to highlight the importance of communicating effectively and sensitively with people suffering from a mental disorder (including autism). Individual forces also provide further training for their officers on these issues. Details are not held centrally of such local provision.

Police

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance police officers receive about interviewing witnesses who may have an autistic spectrum disorder.

John Denham: Training for police officers on interviewing witnesses takes place in forces, sometimes carried out jointly with local authorities.
	Centrex will shortly publish an aide memoire for police officers, based on Achieving Best Evidence, which includes guidance on best practice in interviewing witnesses who suffer from mental disorder or learning disability (including autistic spectrum disorder).

Police

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to police forces on the (a) detention and (b) destruction of police notes taken during murder investigations, with special reference to the time limit for retaining notes.

John Denham: holding answer 22 April 2002
	Police forces in England and Wales act in accordance with the Code of Practice issued under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996. This sets out the procedures for the retention and destruction of material obtained in a criminal investigation which may be relevant to the investigation. All material which may be relevant to the investigation must be retained until a decision is taken whether to institute proceedings against a person for an offence.
	If a criminal investigation results in proceedings being instituted, all material which may be relevant must be retained at least until the accused is acquitted or convicted or the prosecutor decides not to proceed with the case. Where the accused is convicted, all material which may be relevant must be retained at least until:
	the convicted person is released from custody, or discharged from hospital, in cases where the court imposes a custodial sentence or a hospital order;
	six months from the date of conviction, in all other cases.
	If an appeal against conviction is in progress when the release or discharge occurs, or at the end of the period of six months specified above, all material which may be relevant must be retained until the appeal is determined.
	It is for each police force to determine their policy in relation to retention of material for certain criminal offences. For example, the Metropolitan police service retain all material relevant to a murder investigation for 25 years following a conviction.

Police

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded crimes of (a) violence against persons, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) burglary, (e) total theft and handling stolen goods, (f) theft of and from vehicles, (g) fraud and forgery, (h) criminal damage, (i) drug offences and (j) other notifiable offences there were in (i) St. Helens police area and (ii) Merseyside police area in the years to (A) March 1999, (B) March 2000 and (C) March 2001.

John Denham: holding answer 25 April 2002
	The requested information for Merseyside, and the available information for the St. Helens police Basic Command Unit, are given in the tables.
	
		
			   Year ending  
			 Offence Group March 1999 March 2000 March 2001 
		
		
			 Recorded crimes for Merseyside
			 Violence against the person 12,208 14,639 15,855 
			 Sexual offences 1,019 935 982 
			 Robbery 2,484 2,663 2,405 
			 Burglary in a dwelling 14,177 13,606 12,514 
			 Burglary in other building 12,321 12,032 11,424 
			 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods including: 59,044 62,230 57,844 
			 Theft from vehicle 15,031 16,960 14,220 
			 Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle 15,306 16,775 16,157 
			 
			 Fraud and Forgery 4,884 4,794 5,021 
			 Criminal damage 27,465 30,822 30,593 
			 Drug Offences 5,620 4,838 4,421 
			 Other Offences 1,652 1,613 1,748 
			  
			 Grand Total 140,874 148,172 142,807 
			 
			  Recorded crimes for the St. Helens Basic Command Unit(34)  
			 Violence against the person n/a 1,693 1,795 
			 Sexual offences n/a 109 153 
			 Robbery n/a 171 168 
			 Burglary in a dwelling n/a 1,550 1,669 
			 Theft from vehicle n/a 2,000 1,923 
			 Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle n/a 1,680 1,725 
		
	
	(34) A subset of recorded crime has been collected since 1 April 1999.

Police

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been (a) sick and (b) on light duties for (i) two to eight weeks, (ii) eight to 26 weeks and (iii) 26 weeks to one year in the last year for which information is available.

John Denham: The information requested is not collected centrally. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), however, collect data on the number of officers on long term sick leave (i.e. more than 28 days), the working days lost due to long term sickness and the number of days spent by officers on recuperative or restricted duties. 200001 is the last full year for which data is available.
	Not all forces have systems in place to provide the full information requested by HMIC on sick leave. The data for 200001 is therefore incomplete but shows that at 31 March 2001, 2,591 officers were on long term sick leave. In the 12 month period ending 31 March 2001, 760,533 police officer working days were lost due to long-term sickness. Additionally the number of days spent by officers on recuperative duties in 200001 was 241,159.
	The way in which police forces record sick leave duties is currently under review. This work will establish common standards to make data more comparable between forces.

Police

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what number and percentage of police officers in England and Wales who are entitled to retire early on grounds of ill health (a) chose to stay on in the police service in another role and (b) were offered and accepted a desk job in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what number and percentage of police officers in England and Wales retired early for reasons of ill health in each year since 1996; what pension entitlements apply in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Figures are not centrally available for the number of police officers medically certified as permanently disabled, and therefore eligible to be considered for medical retirement, but who are retained in their force. The figures relating to the number of ill health retirements are given in the table.
	
		
			  Medical retirements Percentage of police strength 
		
		
			 199697 2,012 1.6 
			 199798 1,827 1.4 
			 199899 1,642 1.3 
			 19992000 1,232 1.0 
			 200001 1,209 1.0 
		
	
	An officer's pension entitlements on being compulsorily retired on ill health grounds depend on his or her length of pensionable service in the police pension scheme. An ill health pension, which is payable immediately on retirement, is calculated in a similar way to an ordinary pension but is subject to enhancement where an officer has at least five years' pensionable service. This is to compensate the officer at least in part for the lost opportunity of serving until normal retirement.
	An ill health pension is subject to the limit of 40/60ths of average pensionable pay (app), which is the maximum ordinary pension, and is also subject to the qualification that pensionable service may not be enhanced to exceed what the officer could have completed by the age of compulsory retirement. The scale of benefits applicable is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Pensionable service Pension 
		
		
			 Less than 2 years An ill health gratuityno pension 
			 2 to less than 5 years Pension with no enhancement 1/60 of app per year 
			 5 to 10 years 2/60 of app per year 
			 More than 10 to 13 years 20/60 of app 
			 More than 13 years 7/60 of app plus 
			  1/60 for each year up to 20 
			  2/60 for each year over 20 
		
	
	The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) are considering ways to deliver a fair and more consistent approach towards early retirement due to ill health. This should enable forces to reduce the level of ill-health retirement and match the performance of the best quartile of forces in 200001 by 2005. The measures under consideration include amendments to the Police Pensions Regulations and joint guidance being issued by the PNB to police authorities and senior management to ensure that wherever possible officers continue in employment where they are capable of performing sufficient duties to make their retention operationally justifiable.
	In the White Paper on police reform the Government also announced that it will establish a national occupational health strategy for the police service, which should assist forces to manage cases of ill health more effectively at the outset.

HEALTH

General Social Care Council Codes of Practice

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the General Social Care Council Codes of Practice for (a) employers and (b) employees; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Jacqui Smith: Publication of the Codes of Practice is a matter for the General Social Care Council. The council is currently carrying out a major consultation exercise on draft codes. It expects to publish the codes in the summer. Copies will be placed in the Library.

RSV

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which section of the Government's proposed National Service Framework the issue of RSV immunisation falls.

Yvette Cooper: One of the external working groups driving forward work on the Children's National Service Framework has been set up to look at services needed by all children in order to maintain and promote good health. This will include issues such as childhood immunisation.

Hospital Planning

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors are taken into account when planning the future location and size of (a) hospital maternity services and (b) hospital paediatric services.

Yvette Cooper: The national health service provides care for women during pregnancy and childbirth in various types, sizes and locations of maternity units, including units within general hospitals or stand-alone units. The Department expects this choice to continue. It is for area strategic health authorities, trusts and local health communities to decide on the best pattern of service provision, taking into account the needs of local people, evidence of effectiveness and available resources. The Department has also set up a maternity and neonatal work force group to consider work force issues for various models for maternity care. Its findings will feed into the development of the maternity module of the Children's National Service Framework, which will be published at a later date.
	The acute module of the new National Service Framework for Children will among other issues consider access to appropriate hospital paediatric services. It will be published later this year.

Variant-CJD

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has estimated the number of patients exposed to surgical instruments possibly contaminated with vCJD in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: No. Because of the many uncertainties surrounding this issueincluding the incubation period of vCJD and the difficulties of tracking individual instrumentswe do not consider it feasible to make such an estimate. The risk assessment therefore did not predict the scale of any secondary epidemic of vCJD, instead, it developed different scenarios to address the various uncertaintiesincluding the standard of decontaminationand gaps in our knowledge about vCJD.
	The advice we had from the spongiform encephalopathology advisory committee was that good decontamination is key in reducing the risk of person to person transmission of vCJD via surgical instruments. This was confirmed by the risk assessment. As a result of the work we did last year on improving decontamination, all national health service hospitals in England have access to decontamination services of an acceptable standard.

Prescriptions

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were charged to patients in Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Information at a constituency level is not held centrally. The table shows the amount of prescriptions charged to patients in the Shropshire area.
	
		Prescription items dispensed in Shropshire health authority by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only by charged prescriptions and those categories where no prescription charge is made, 19972000
		
			   Charged total  Free  
			  Number (thousand) Percentage of total Number (thousand) Percentage of total 
		
		
			 1997 517.1 16 2,763.8 84 
			 1998 532.2 16 2,847.5 84 
			 1999 566.5 16 2,978.5 84 
			 2000 593.5 16 3,095.5 84 
		
	
	Note:
	The analysis is based on a 1 in 20 sample of all prescriptions submitted to the PPA by community pharmacists and appliance contractors. Items dispensed by dispensing doctors and personal administration prescriptions are excluded.

Mental Health

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services for women from Asian, black and ethnic minority communities.

Jacqui Smith: The Department is introducing a range of initiatives to address issues of inequalities in access to mental health services for people from Asian, black and minority ethnic groups, including:
	The development of a strategy for women's mental health which highlights the needs of women from black and minority ethnic groups.
	A strategy on black and minority ethnic mental health, to promote more accessible and appropriate services for people from these groups.

Emergency Care

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cash allocations have been made under the reforming emergency care accident and emergency nurse allocation for 200203 to each NHS trust in the northern region; upon what basis the allocations have been made; and which trusts are involved in PFI programmes.

Jacqui Smith: Cash allocations to national health service acute trusts in the Department's northern and Yorkshire region, under the reforming emergency care accident and emergency nurse allocation for 200203 are shown in the table. All trusts received funding for two additional nurse posts for each accident and emergency department. Trusts at which more than 25 per cent. of their accident and emergency attendees were spending over four hours in the Department received funding for a further six extra nurse posts in each accident and emergency department. The table also indicates those trusts that are involved in private finance initiative programmes.
	
		
			 NHS trust Allocation () PFI 
		
		
			 Airedale 73,561 Yes 
			 Bradford hospitals 73,561 Yes 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield 147,122 Yes 
			 City hospitals Sunderland 73,561 No 
			 Dewsbury health care 73,561 No 
			 Gateshead health 73,561 No 
			 Harrogate health care 73,561 No 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals 73,561 Yes 
			 Leeds teaching hospitals 588,488 Yes 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne hospitals 73,561 Yes 
			 North Cumbria acute 147,122 Yes 
			 North Durham health care 588,488 Yes 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool 147,122 No 
			 Northallerton health services 73,561 Yes 
			 Northumbria healthcare 147,122 Yes 
			 Pinderfields and Pontefract 73,561 Yes 
			 Scarborough and north-east Yorkshire health care 73,561 No 
			 South Durham health care 73,561 Yes 
			 South Tees acute hospitals 73,561 Yes 
			 South Tyneside health care 73,561 No 
			 York health services 73,561 No

National Institute for Technical Excellence

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average time a (a) technology and (b) medicine appraisal has taken place under the auspices of the National Institute for Technical Excellence.

Yvette Cooper: The appraisal process of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence takes about one year from initial scoping work to the issue of final guidance. The timetable can be longer for appraisals which are particularly complex or where the determination is subject to appeal.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnostic and treatment centres have been developed; how many are operational; and how many patients they have treated in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: A first wave of eight diagnostic and treatment centres (DTCs) is due to be operational by the end of 2002. When these DTCs are up and running they will provide an extra 20,000 treatments a year.
	The NHS is on course to meet the NHS plan commitment to have eight DTCs open by 2004 with a further 12 in development.

CT Scanner Procedures

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra CT scanner procedures have been carried out since the publication of the NHS National Plan.

Yvette Cooper: For the financial year 200001, there were a total of 1,488,752 computed tomography (CT) scans carried out by national health service trusts in England. This compares to 1,359,852 CT scans in the previous financial year.

Medical Records

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients have access to electronic personal medical records.

Yvette Cooper: At present no official figures are available on the proportion of patients who have been given direct on-line, secure access to their electronic medical records. However, we are aware of a number of sites who have taken forward work in this area. These include the Bury Knowle Health Centre (Oxford) and the Hadfield Medical Centre (Derbyshire) funded by the electronic record development and implementation programme (ERDIP). These sites, as well as the work being taken forward by the ERDIP site in south Staffordshire (how to satisfy requirement of law, ethic and policy), will inform policy development and any future national rollout.

School Fruit

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify the countries of origin of the fruit supplied as part of the National School Fruit Scheme.

Yvette Cooper: The countries of origin of fruit supplied to schools as part of the national school fruit scheme are the UK, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand, Cameroon, South Africa, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guadaloupe, Martinique, Surinam, Uruguay, USA and Windward Islands. The choice at any one time depends on season and crop in supplying countries.

MRI Procedures

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many MRI procedures have been carried out since the publication of the NHS National Plan.

Yvette Cooper: For the financial year 200001, there were a total of 632,594 magnetic resonance imaging scans carried out by national health service trusts in England.

Selenium

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on article 5 of the European Union food supplements directive and the potential banning of selenium.

Yvette Cooper: Article 5 of the proposed food supplements directive would establish the approach to setting maximum limits for vitamins and minerals present in food supplements. The Food Standards Agency, which has taken the lead on negotiating this directive on the Government's behalf, is now directing its energies towards arguing the case for these limits to be based on thorough scientific risk assessments and forging strong links between the scientific committee on foods and an expert group it has set up to advise on acceptable levels.
	The positive list in annexe II of the directive, which lists permitted sources of vitamins and minerals, already includes three sources of selenium; additional sources may be added during the seven-year transitional period allowed under the directive.

Folic Acid

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of folic acid.

Yvette Cooper: A Medical Research Council trial in 1991 showed that supplementation with folic acid significantly reduced the risk of neural tube defects (NTD) in women who had already been through a pregnancy affected by NTD. Following this, in 1992, the then Government issued guidance on supplementation. All women planning a pregnancy are advised to take a daily 400 milligramme supplement from before conception until the twelfth week of pregnancy. They are also advised to eat folate-rich foods.
	In 2000, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) advised that fortification of wheat flour with folic acid would help to reduce the number of births affected by NTDs. However, COMA also recognised the potential for increased folic acid intake to mask vitamin B12 deficiency, particularly in older people. The level of fortification recommended by COMA aimed to minimise the number of people having intakes of folic acid which may mask B12 deficiency.
	A consultation document on COMA's conclusions was issued in July 2000 jointly by the Health Departments and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The majority of residents were in favour of fortification although this was not overwhelming (59 per cent.). The most common concerns were over the potential risks of fortification and the possible restriction of consumer choice.

Meat Products

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what outbreaks of disease in humans in Britain have been linked to the import of illegal meat products in the past five years.

Yvette Cooper: The UK organisations involved in the collection of foodborne disease data are not aware of any links of illegal imported meat products to outbreaks of foodborne disease in humans in the last five years.

Overseas Treatment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2002, Official Report, column 1412W, on overseas treatment, how many patients have travelled overseas to receive treatment in continental hospitals since 15 February; and from which health authorities.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 April 2002
	Between 15 February and 22 April a total of 138 patients travelled overseas to receive treatment in continental hospitals. 57 of these patients were from East Kent, 36 from West Sussex and 45 from Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

Private Finance Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Richmond Friary Community Hospital for the Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Withernsea Community Hospital for the Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Leeds Road Hospital-Horton Park Centre for Bradford Community Health NHS Trust by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative.

Jacqui Smith: The business case justifying the individual schemes estimated the net savings in present value terms (ie all future costs and benefits discounted to their present values) compared with publicly funding the scheme is set out in the table.
	
		Net present costs of PSC v. PFI option
		
			 Trust PFI 000 Public 000 Savings in net present value terms 000 Difference percentage 
		
		
			 Northallerton Health Services National Health Service TrustRichmond Friary Community Hospital 2,457 3,722 1,265 0.05 
			 Bradford Community Health National Health Service TrustHorton Park Centre 7,136 8,350 1,214 0.17 
			 Hull and East Riding Community Health National Health Service TrustWithernsea Hospital (35)729,926 (35)734,667 (35)4,741 (35)0.064 
		
	
	(35) Equivalent annual cost.

Research (Maternity and Paediatric Care)

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) published on the relationship between maternity and paediatric care.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has not commissioned any such research. The maternity and neonatal work force group (MNWG) that was set up last year is considering the best models for providing maternity and neonatal care based on existing evidence.

Paediatrics

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric intensive care beds have been (a) funded, (b) established and (c) staffed by quarter in the last five years for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The number of paediatric intensive care beds that are funded, established and staffed for each quarter for the last five years is not collected centrally.
	The number of available paediatric intensive care beds is collected in an annual census. Available beds are those beds available to be used/or being used by patients. The information is given in the following table.
	
		Paediatric intensive care beds available at 31 March, England
		
			  Available number of paediatric intensive care beds 
		
		
			 31 March 2001 291 
			 31 March 2000 280 
			 31 March 1999 278 
			 31 March 1998 289 
			 31 March 1997 235 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH03

NHS Efficiency Savings

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the level of (a) waste, (b) fraud and (c) inefficiency in the NHS in each of the last five years; and what measures he has introduced to reduce the level.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The Department monitors and manages the performance of the NHS in the delivery of the key targets set out in the NHS Plan. In addition, the NHS is subject to external independent audit by the Audit Commission and the National Audit Office. They publish a number of studies each year on the value for money of aspects of the NHS. The Department considers each of these reports, and implements their recommendations where appropriate.
	Analysis using data from November 1998 identified 117 million of pharmaceutical patient fraud. Further analysis showed that this had been reduced to 48 million by 1999 (41 per cent.). A range of measures have been introduced to reduce fraud, including patient exemption checks and a penalty charge where a person fails to pay appropriate NHS charges.
	In addition, we have set about improving governance arrangements to ensure the necessary standards of accountability, probity and openness through the introduction in 1999 of the controls assurance standards.

NHS Efficiency Savings

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what total sum was achieved for efficiency and other value for money gains in the NHS in 200001.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 April 2002
	Allocations to health authorities (HAs) in 200001 were made net of 3 per cent. efficiency savings. This means that HAs needed to achieve the efficiency target to fully fund delivery of national targets.

Food Standards Agency

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the draft scheme for the Food Standards Agency to comply with Welsh language obligations has been finalised; and when it will be implemented.

Yvette Cooper: Following a period of public consultation, the draft Welsh Language Scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board on 5 March 2002. The scheme will be officially launched shortly. Many aspects of the scheme have already been adopted by the food Standards Agency.

Food Standards Agency

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the service delivery agreement target of the Food Standards Agency to ensure effective enforcement of animal feed legislation has been met.

Yvette Cooper: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is carrying out a number of initiatives to ensure effective enforcement of animal feed legislation. In particular, the FSA is making available over 7 million to local authorities to help them increase enforcement of food legislation.
	Feed law enforcement is part of the FSA's Framework Agreement with Local Authorities on Food Law Enforcement. Returns being provided under that agreement will help the FSA to check the use of resources and ensure feed controls are being properly enforced. The initial results are not yet available.

Food Standards Agency

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the service delivery agreement target of the Food Standards Agency to undertake additional research into new techniques for assessing the safety of genetically modified foods has been met.

Yvette Cooper: A three year research programme looking at the applicability of new and emerging techniques to the safety assessment of genetically modified foods began in September 2001.

Hospices

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 March 2002, Official Report, column 536W, on hospices, what assessment he has made of the proportion of patients who died from cancer in hospital who could have received terminal palliative care in hospices had there been sufficient capacity in the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: No such assessment has been made. Palliative care should involve a combination of services including hospital, hospice, community and day care. We know that, given the choice and the right circumstances, many people with cancer would prefer to die at home. Cancer networks have been asked to draw up service delivery plans on palliative care, including a review of the level of services offered in their area. These plans will aim to ensure that each network has a range of palliative care services available to suit the local population. They will be supported by the extra funding for palliative care pledged in the NHS Cancer Plan.

Hospices

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution the Government makes to the independent hospice sector towards the cost of (a) employment of doctors and nurses and (b) drugs, provision of ambulances and other medical services.

Yvette Cooper: Funding for hospices is a matter for local decision, based on a strategic view of palliative care services. In the NHS Cancer Plan we pledged an additional 50 million per year nationally for specialist palliative care by 2004. We are monitoring progress in providing this extra investment.

Hospices

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in state funding of independent charitable hospices in the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: There are wide variations both in the range of funding from the national health service and in the provision of specialist palliative care services across the country. We are committed to improving palliative care. That is why we have pledged to make available an additional 50 million by 2004 for palliative care so that the NHS can make an adequate contribution to the costs hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. The additional funding will mean that for the first time, NHS investment in specialist palliative care services as a whole will match that of the voluntary sector. We are monitoring progress in providing this increased investment.

Mount Vernon Hospital

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the review of cancer services at Mount Vernon Hospital is expected to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The long-term review of the Mount Vernon Cancer Network and Centre includes stakeholders from the London and south-east regions and has been looking at the long-term options for the provision of high quality cancer services to the two million people who currently use Mount Vernon hospital. The review is scheduled to be published in June 2002.

Butchers' Licensing Regulations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated annual cost (a) to butchers and (b) to public funds is of the implementation and enforcement of the Butchers' Licensing Regulations.

Yvette Cooper: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was published in April 2000 to coincide with the introduction of the Butchers' Licensing Regulations in England.
	The RIA estimated the annual cost per butcher's shop would be approximately 490, comprising 100 payable by the butcher on receipt of a licence from the local authority and an average cost of 390 per shop for staff hygiene training necessary to satisfy one of the licensing conditions. The total recurring compliance costs for the butchery sector were estimated at 3.3 million per annum.
	The annual costs to public funds stem from the issue of licences by the local authorities. The RIA estimated the 100 licence fee, which is retained in full by the issuing local authority, would offset these costs.
	A copy of the RIA is available in the Library.
	Separate butchers' licensing schemes have been introduced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and are the responsibility of the devolved administrations in those parts of the United Kingdom.

Doctors

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of doctors is per 100 beds in the Suffolk health authority.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is in the table.
	
		Hospital medical staff per 100 beds in Suffolk health authority
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Hospital medical staff 580 
			 Average daily available beds 1,660 
			 Doctors per 100 beds(36) 34.8 
		
	
	(36) Calculation based on unrounded figures
	Sources:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census at 30 September 2000
	Department of Health form KH03 200001

Delayed Discharges

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the Suffolk health authority has reached its bed blocking targets since February.

Jacqui Smith: Suffolk health economy is working hard to reduce the number of delayed transfers of care, and has more than met its target for the end of March. This is in line with the overall national trend.

Speech Therapists

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time between a child on the Register of Special Educational Needs being referred to a speech therapist and the first consultation taking place has been in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 18 April 2002
	Data on waiting times for children accessing speech therapy services following referral are not collected centrally. However, we are aware that children make up more than 70 per cent. of the work load of speech and language therapists (SLTs) and it is important that appropriate treatment and interventions are accessed as soon as a problem is identified.
	The NHS Plan sets a target to reduce the maximum wait for any stage of treatment to three months. Provided we can recruit and retain the extra staff, and the national health service makes the necessary reforms, we hope to achieve this objective by the end of 2008.
	We also announced in the NHS Plan an increase in the number of training places for therapists and other health professionals including SLTs. By 2004 there will be 4,450 more training places. Current initiatives including the grading exercise under way in all speech and language therapy services in England will result in improved pay and career opportunities for SLTs. We firmly believe that this initiative will help in the recruitment and retention of SLTs currently working, the return of therapists who have left the profession, and an increase of applicants for training places.

Correspondence

James Cran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 6 December 2001 from Mrs. Linda Greatorex, and subsequent correspondence of 27 March.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 19 April 2002
	A reply was sent on 22 April.

Walton v. Independent Living Organisation

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possible implications of the Employment Appeals Tribunal case Walton v. Independent Living Organisation (EAT/0731/01); and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The Employment Appeals Tribunal in this case is still considering the judgment. It is therefore not appropriate for me to comment.

East Riding and Hull Health Authority

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects a decision to be made on how many posts will be made redundant following the termination of the East Riding and Hull health authority.

Jacqui Smith: It is too early to assess how many redundancies may be made following the replacement of the East Riding and Hull health authority. Following Shifting the Balance of Power every effort is being made to minimise redundancies and ensure that valuable skills and experience are retained to support the national health service.

Pneumococcal Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money is available in the NHS budget in (a) 200203 and (b) 200304 for the immunisation of all children under two years against pneumococcal disease; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 24 April 2002
	No decision on immunisation of all children under two years can be taken until the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has reviewed all available evidence and given advice to Ministers. Studies on the use of the vaccine within the UK schedule will not be complete until later in the financial year 200203.
	The national health service budget for 200304 will increase by 7.6 per cent. in real growth terms. Decisions have not yet been taken regarding the allocation of funding.

Elderly People (Health Care)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the general practitioner service needs of elderly people.

Jacqui Smith: The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in health and social care.
	The Department's policy research programme is funding three relevant projects. These are:
	an evaluation of inequalities in influenza vaccination coverage in the elderly;
	a prospective study of health inequalities and informal care; and
	a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the health effects of welfare advice in primary health care.
	The Department's policy research programme is also co-funding the Medical Research Council's study of assessment and management of elderly people in the community.
	The Department's health technology assessment programme is funding four relevant projects. These are:
	the community provision of hearing aidsa systematic review of the evidence;
	the use of laxatives in the elderly;
	the effectiveness of health visitor domiciliary visitinga systematic review of the literature; and,
	an economic evaluation of a primary care based patient education programme for osteoarthritis of the knee.
	In addition, the Department allocates funds to the national health service to support research commissioned by the research councils and charities. Management of the research supported by NHS research and development funding is devolved. This research activity is reported to the National Research Register, which may be consulted at www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.

NHS Patients (Treatment Abroad)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) the local health authorities or (b) the private health care companies involved in sending NHS patients for treatment abroad have the final decision in selecting individual patients for the project.

John Hutton: The local health authorities involved in sending patients overseas have been responsible for identifying groups of patients to whom the opportunity of treatment overseas should be offered. The final decision on whether a patient should be treated in an overseas hospital rests with the receiving clinician. The essential clinical criteria are that patients are fit to undergo the journey and that in the clinician's opinion they require treatment.

St. Thomas's Hospital

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what budget is available for cancer treatment at St. Thomas's Hospital; and what the budget was in each of the last five years.

John Hutton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Residential/Nursing Home Beds

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average occupancy rates are for (a) residential home beds and (b) nursing home beds in the last 12 months; and whether the figures he collates for capacity in those homes are based on (i) actual occupancy and (ii) availability for use;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the number of (a) residential home beds and (b) nursing home beds which are unoccupied and likely to de-register for use in the next 12 months.

Jacqui Smith: In March 2001 (the most recent date for which figures are available) the occupancy rate for private residential homes was 90.4 per cent. In March 2000 the respective figures were 88.3 per cent. and 88.4 per cent. These figures were collated by care consultants, Laing and Buisson, and are based on occupied beds as a percentage of registered beds. Comparative figures for local authority owned homes are not available.
	As announced on 17 April by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, we are increasing the resources for personal social services by an annual average of 6 per cent. in real terms from 200304 to 200506. Local authorities will be able to use these substantial extra resources to stabilise the care home market.

Kidney Disease

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department is making available for research into kidney disease in 2002; and of this how much is to go to (a) companies and (b) charities.

Jacqui Smith: The main Government agency for research into the causes and treatments for disease in the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC's expenditure on kidney disease in 200102 was 1.9 million.
	The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in health and social care. The Department's policy research programme is spending 87,380 on kidney disease projects in 200203. The Department's health technology assessment programme is spending 71,210 on kidney disease projects in 200203.
	In addition, the Department allocates funds to the national health service to support research commissioned by the research councils and charities. Management of the research supported by NHS research and development (R and D) funding is devolved, and details of the NHS expenditure related to this research are not held centrally. NHS R and D funding does not support companies' research.

Kidney Disease

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) African-Caribbean and (b) Asian people in the United Kingdom have suffered from kidney disease in each year since 1997; and what the survival rate is.

Jacqui Smith: The source of information on the ethnicity of kidney patients is the UK renal registry. Submission of data is voluntary and coverage by all units in England is not yet universal. In those units that submitted data in 2000 an average 3.3 per cent. of all new adult patients were from the African-Caribbean minority ethnic group and 9.7 per cent. were Asian people. A breakdown of adult patients continuing to receive renal replacement therapy shows that 3.7 per cent. were from the African-Caribbean minority ethnic group and 10.1 per cent. were from the Asian community. Information on survival broken down into ethnic groups is not yet available.

NHS Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 26 March 2001, Official Report, column 945W, on NHS finance, when he will publish the annual audited accounts for NHS trusts, health authorities and PCTs.

John Hutton: Individual national health service bodies are required to publish their own accounts so that they are available in advance of the public meeting which should be held on 30 September.
	Provisional 200102 data will normally be available once validation checks have been completed by the Department in November. 2002.

Liver Transplants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of liver transplants in the last 12 months.

Jacqui Smith: The liver transplant service is a national service commissioned by the national specialist commissioning group (NSCAG) on behalf of the national health service. In the last financial year (200102) NSCAG allocated 33,549,549 to the service.

Liver Transplants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many liver transplants he estimates will be required in (a) the current year and (b) in five years' time.

Jacqui Smith: It is difficult to estimate the total potential demand for liver transplants. However, the median waiting time for a transplant for adults is only 60 days. At the end of March this year there were only 131 English residents on the waiting list and each year some 550 to 600 transplants are performed on English residents depending on the availability of suitable organs. The number of transplants performed in the current year should fall within the same range.

Liver Transplants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many liver transplants have taken place in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The total number of liver transplants (adults and children) performed by the designated units in England in each of the last five years is:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 199798 547 
			 199899 568 
			 19992000 590 
			 200001 549 
			 200102 555

Private Sector (Statistics)

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many day cases have been carried out in the private sector since November 2000;
	(2)  how many out-patient appointments have been carried out in the private sector since November 2000;
	(3)  how many in-patient treatments have been carried out in the private sector since November 2000.

John Hutton: We do not collect information on the total number of appointments and treatments provided by the private health care providers. We do, however, have information on services provided for national health service patients. Since November 2000 the Independent Healthcare Association (IHA) has collected monthly data from independent health care providers (which includes both private and voluntary sector providers) about the number of NHS patients treated by them. According to data made available to the Department by the IHA, between November 2000 and January 2002 (the latest month for which figures are available) at least 25,000 day cases, 34,500 out-patient appointments and 28,500 in-patient treatments were carried out in the independent sector for NHS patients.